Caught in a vicious cycle

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Within just a day or two of the board exams starting, the authorities have already unearthed over 250 cases of cheating in Mumbai alone. What is it that drives students to take a step that can have such drastic consequences? Is it just fear? Or is it a greater malady of which this is but the symptom? Do only deterrent measures help, or is some larger system overhaul needed?
At least some of this problem may have its roots in the fact that students think it’s okay to cheat on some exams and not on others. A case in point is Class 12 student Nilesh Acharya who says, “I’m by and large against the concept of cheating, especially in important exams. I don’t think it’s wrong to peep into my neighbour’s answer paper during a unit test, I feel there is way too much at stake at the board exams to attempt anything of that sort. And this year, with the penalties and checks having become even more stringent, I find it really surprising how students still choose to risk chits into the exam hall.”
Priyanka Bhosle, an FYBA student thinks the blame doesn’t rest on students alone. Rather, she says it has a lot to do with the hype that is created around exams. “The pressure is unrelenting,” she says. “Sometimes it’s your parents, at other times, it’s the thought that you have to do better than others. The examination itself is nothing compared to the hype that is created around it. Is it any wonder that students will resort to any means to deal with the stress and the competition?” Veterinary student Bhagyashree Phadke agrees: “It’s the pressure, and the fact that our system is so ‘mugging’ oriented. Since it is not your understanding that is being tested, copying becomes just an easy way to score.”
Dr Anjali Panigrahi, a professor of Statistics at a reputed Mumbai college, says the issue is compounded because cheating and its causes feed off each other. “It’s a vicious circle where our education system has unfortunately degraded to only obtain ‘marks’ and race ahead of others,” she rues. “Due to strict competition and a faulty evaluation system, we have become a marks-oriented society. Everything is dependent on your grades. Students are tempted to cheat and obtain more marks simply to get somewhere.”