Harrowing times for Inter students

The first day of the Intermediate first year examinations began across 152 centers in the district on Wednesday. Students wrote Telugu, Sanskrit, Hindi, and Urdu papers under second language. Of the total 66,651 enrolled students, 66,164 appeared for the test.

On the first day of the examinations, majority of the students in Vijayawada and its suburbs faced severe hardships in traffic congestion to reach the examination centers at Bhavanipuram, Gollapudi and Ibrahimpatnam. With the traffic diversions for flyover construction are being implied, the students and parents are forced to reach examination centers through the narrow and congested roads of Chitti Nagar and One Town.

Major junctions across the city were blocked at around 7:30 am by the traffic police personnel. Thousands of students trying to reach their examination venues scattered across different areas of the city. Parents who accompanied them to the venue also added to the increased traffic on the roads. “Traffic jams were seen at several places where the examination centers were located.

Traffic police officials failed to clear the rush,” said a parent who was struck in traffic near Chitti Nagar junction. Many irregularities in colleges in city and district were found and many parents expressed their discomfort on the lack of necessary arrangements.

Colleges that were identified as examination centers witnessed a flurry of activity as hordes of students, with their parents in tow, crowded outside much before the scheduled time to avoid any delays. Heated exchanges between a group of parents and police personnel was seen outside an exam centre where lack of proper coordination resulting.

Speaking to the Hans India, Regional Inspection Officer (RIO) of the Board of Intermediate Education M Raja Rao said no cases of malpractice were booked as the exam was incident-free. Those taking the exams were seated across 152 centers, most of which were inspected by members of special flying and sitting squads while a high-power committee monitored smooth conduct of the test.

“We have received complaints from parents and students on the arrangements. All their complaints will be addressed immediately,” said the regional inspection officer (RIO), M Raja Rao. On Thursday, students of Intermediate final year students will write their first exam. “The exams will be held concurrently for first year and final year students on alternate days,” RIO Raja Rao said.