Hyderabad HC grills AP, Telangana on mass copying in exams

Hyderabad: While questioning the reasons for not prosecuting those involved in mass copying in SSC and public examinations, the High Court on Tuesday asked the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana State Chief Secretaries to file affidavits explaining the steps taken to curb mass copying in public examinations.

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice A. Shankar Narayana was dealing with a PIL by Dr Srinivas Guntupalli of Eluru in AP questioning the inaction of both governments in taking effective steps to prevent mass copying and guided copying.

The bench told the Chief Secretaries of both the states to explain in their affidavits the details of cases registered so far under the Public Examinations Act 1997, how many persons were prosecuted and the number of persons convicted.

Counsel for the petitioner told the court that after filing the PIL, the governments had installed CCTV cameras in certain centres. He said a school in Mallapur in Karimnagar district always got 100 per cent results, but after installation of the cameras it got only 40 per cent results.

Pointing out that percentage had become the only criteria for parents and teachers, the Bench said, “We are all well aware what happens in Bihar and the fate of top rankers in that state.” TS counsel said the government was taking steps to instal CCTV cameras in all public examination centres.

The AP counsel said the state government was introducing Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation System to weed out the menace of mass copying.
While cautioning that the authorities would be summoned if they failed to file the affidavits, the bench posted the case after four weeks.

Fiat on arrears for society
The High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the Hyderabad Exhibition Society to spell out its stand on a petition challenging inaction of the fire services department in collecting '68 lakh arrears from the Exhibition Society.

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice A. Shankar Narayana was dealing with a plea by advocate Khaja Aijazuddin, seeking to direct the authorities to collect the dues.

Mr Aijazuddin alleged that the authorities were dilly dallying in collecting the arrears since a minister was a member in the executive committee of the society.
Mr H. Venu Gopal, counsel for the home department, said that the fire services department had issued notice to the society, which had made a representation to the government seeking exemption of arrears as it was a non-profit organisation.

Report on water harvesting
The Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday asked the GHMC and the Telangana  government to furnish a report on steps being initiated on the recommendations of the committee constituted to oversee the construction of rainwater harvesting structures.

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice A. Shankar Narayana was dealing with a petition by city resident S. Vaidehi Reddy seeking a direction to the state government and GHMC to enforce GO Ms No 350 dated June 9, 2009, adopted in the AP Building Rules 2012 pertaining to rainwater harvesting structures for all buildings.

When the petition come up for hearing, the ACJ, in a lighter vein, commented that senior counsel D. Prakash Reddy, appearing for the petitioner, that he too did not have a water harvesting pit in his residence yet and it would not be proper for him to hear the case till completion of the pit. However, continuing the hearing, the ACJ sought to know from counsel about the construction and maintenance of water harvesting pits and the agencies involved.

When counsel for the government reminded that it had constituted a committee based on the suggestion of the HC to oversee construction of water harvesting structures, the bench asked him to furnish the action-taken report and the future plan within two weeks.