In comparison to last year, this time there wasn't too much confusion over the dress code. There were a few students though who had to have their long sleeved shirts cut and forced to remove ornaments but otherwise students said the checking was as they had expected.
However, in PSBB school, K K Nagar, students were asked to take off their dupatas which some parents felt was unnecessary, "There wasn't any rule about wearing dupatas to the exam but here they were asked to remove it. Some of them had pinned it up and they were struggling to remove it and it made them uncomfortable," said Priya, whose sister was writing the exam.
"Some girls would not mind taking off their dupatta but a few students who might be on the heavier side and would like to cover up would have felt weird about it. Being around their loved ones and doing it is one thing. Being taken inside to a corner and doing it made them feel like they are doing something wrong. What could they have possibly carried in that?" she questioned.
One student was asked to remove her nose-ring and she was again struggling to do so, "It was hurting her to remove it and she was feeling so awkward. What can they possibly sneak in with their nose rings? Students were asked to remove the rubber bands from their hair. They had to leave their hair open and go in," said Helen Mary, another parent.
The parents felt that the students were already under enough pressure and putting them in this position only made things worse, "These children are just out of school. For many this is the first time they're attempting a national exam. How can they be so threatening to such young children. There are police standing all over for God's sake, do they really think the students would carry in bits of paper to cheat? The students are scared already, They can't even trust us children to not cheat in an exam guarded by the police and the government expects us to trust them?" asked another parent.
"After such a bad experience here at such a young age, these kids will think twice before attempting other exams at this level. It's going to psychologically affect them, " said Shalomi S's brother, a candidate, "There are some students who study the best at the very last minute and it helps them. It helps them not to forget key points if they are able to go through their books. By making the students sit inside two hours before the exam starts, robs such students of this opportunity," he added.
