Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Punjab State Technical Education Board wins accolades for implementing examination reforms: Harjot Bains
CCTV cameras in 220 Polytechnic and Pharmacy Institutes
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, June 9, 2023: To ensure zero tolerance for copying/cheating during examinations, the Punjab State Board of Technical Education and Industrial Training (PSBTE & IT) is adopting strict anti-copying policies in examinations.
Technical Education & Industrial Training Minister states S. Harjot Singh Bains today said that under the leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann, PSBTE & IT has decided to ensure zero tolerance in copying/cheating in examination by shifting all the centers of polytechnic and pharmacy colleges to government-run Polytechnics and ITI’s.
Now, it has been made mandatory in the institutes to examine CCTV surveillance as the board has spent a significant amount in installing CCTVs in Govt Polytechnics and ITIs.
The mapping of as many as 220 polytechnic and pharmacy institutes has been done for the ease of students so that no one faces difficulty in reaching his/her exam center.
The Minister informed that CCTV Monitoring Board has spent around Rs.3 crore on installing CCTVs in 26 Govt Polytechnics and 115 Govt ITIs. CCTV cameras are also installed in newly inducted centers of Deptt of Higher Education and Punjabi University Campus.
Harjot Singh Bains that for the first time, Board has set up a Control Room in Boards office to monitor the CCTV Cameras installed in all Examination Centres.
The roster of officials has also been prepared to monitor exam centers in the Control Room. This has resulted in complete transparency in the exams.
The Cabinet Minister said that the Technical Education Board has been working continuously in improving the quality of Technical Education in the state and achieved the objectives of ensuring transparency in conducting the fair examination of Diplomas in Polytechnic & Pharmacy courses.
In previous examinations, which were earlier held in private institutes, numerous complaints of unfair means being used by students, which were not only causing losses to intelligent and hardworking students but were also a blot on the whole reputation of the technical education system’s why the Technical Education Board has implemented these examination reforms, he added.
He said that higher education institutions and Punjabi University campuses have also been used as examination centers for the first time. The Department of Higher Education and State Technical Universities also cooperated in this whole process.
During these examinations, surprise checking of the exam centers is also conducted by sending the flying squad teams of the officers of the department of Technical Education and Technical Education Board. Officials from the Department of Technical Education, Medical Education, and Higher Education are also deputed as observers in these exam centers.
Apart from this officials from the District administration were also entrusted with the task to check exam centers in their respective districts.
The minister informed that 14 flying squad teams of Principals have been formed to check district-wise Centres. 13 teams of DTE/Board have been formed to check district-wise Centres. Officials from the deputy commissioner's office also requested to check centers in their respective districts.
Besides this, 52 faculty members from the Department of Technical Education, Medical Education and Higher Education are deputed as Observers at various Exam Centres, said the cabinet Minister, adding that the hardworking students are appreciating the efforts of the government and hoping that it will continue in the future.