Colleges not serious by ‘nature’

Hyderabad: Junior colleges are making a mockery of Intermediate environmental exam. While this subject is mandatory for Inter first year students to secure the final pass certificate, the colleges do not conduct any classes or appoint teachers for this subject.

Surprisingly, all the students qualify in this exam every year. It was introduced in 2007 as per the Supreme Court orders to create environmental awareness among high school and secondary school students. A few questions are given to students a month before the exam.

They mug up on the subject and write the exam. Colleges are free to conduct this exam and this ensures that all   students will “qualify”. This year, the exam is scheduled to be held on Friday.
The Board of Intermediate Education is negligent and neither the students nor the colleges are taking the exam seriously, which has now become a “namesake exam”.

The BIE's policy to hold environmental exam only for first year students has invited the wrath of academicians. "If this exam is taken lightly by all now, it's because of BIE's flawed policies and negligence. The marks secured in this exam have no value as they are not added to the final marks. With this, students and colleges are taking this exam lightly.

Colleges were given a free hand to conduct this exam. All the colleges ensure that none of their students fail in this test, whether they attempt the questions or not," said Madhusudhan Reddy, general secretary, AP Government Junior Lecturers Association.

However, the BIE said that there will be no change in the exam pattern this year, and that changes if any would be considered from next year to strengthen the environmental exam.

"It is true that the exam was not given the importance it required. We are now considering various options to strengthening the exam. We will consult academicians and environmentalists over bringing changes in this subject and exam," said Ramsankar Naik, the secretary of BIE.