PU students protest over Chemistry re-exam

Hundreds of second-year pre-university students staged a protest outside the office of the Department of Pre-University Education (DPUE) in Malleswaram on Wednesday, seeking cancellation of the re-examination of Chemistry paper.

The Chemistry examination was held on March 21. The government issued an order cancelling the examination the same evening after reports of the paper leak were confirmed.

The protesters said the decision adversely affected about 1.74 lakh students who had worked hard and done well in the examination. They now feel they might not be able to do well in the re-examination due to pressure.

Some students even used their blood to sign a petition urging the DPUE and the government to cancel the re-examination. They also demanded liberal evaluation of Mathematics paper.

Some parents, who joined the protest, termed the government’s decision unscientific and unfortunate. “Why should all the students be punished when only a handful in a couple of centres got the question paper in advance. Who will be held responsible if the students, who are under extreme pressure, fail to perform better in the examination,” asked Ragini, a resident of Malleswaram, whose daughter is appearing for the examination.

DPUE officials had a tough time pacifying the students. They said the question paper was circulated on WhatsApp. The paper might have reached thousands of students who would have used the extra time to get the benefit. 

The Chemistry paper marks are considered in the allotment of CET ranks. Those who had the leaked paper in advance and performed better would have a better chance, while those who worked hard and took the exam would be affected, the officials said, justifying the decision to hold the examination again.

A significant number of police personnel were deployed at the DPUE office to avert possible violence.