A Scene in the Examination hall
In India, students are to appear at a lot of examinations. Public examinations are the most important of all. High School Certificate Examination is one of the public examinations. The examination-hall presents a scene, peculiar to itself.
Outside the examination hall, many sheets of paper are pasted on the front wall. The roll numbers of the examinations and the numbers of the rooms assigned to them are mentioned on those sheets of paper. Before the examination begins the candidates come with their identifying teachers. They gather before the wall-notice to see their roll numbers and to know the numbers of the rooms assigned to them. They loiter on the verandah till the doors of the hall are opened. Some girl-students stand at a sequestered corner. The guardians collect the information’s for them.
When the warning bell rings the doors are opened. The candidates sit on their respective seats. Then the invigilators come with the examination papers and the questions. In one hall there are two invigilators. They distribute the paper among the candidates. The students write their roll numbers, subject and date etc., on the examination paper. The another bell rings and the question-papers are distributed.
Now, the atmosphere in the hall becomes grave. Candidates read their question papers with all care and attention. There is pin drop silence in the examination hall. Then they begin to write their answers with a very swift hand. Their pens rush like a race horse. They have no time to raise their heads. A few frightened candidates get fainted and fall down from their seats. They are handed over to their identifying teacher. Other examinees have least care for these happenings. They never allow themselves to be disturbed. Now, an officer of the B.S.E. comes with the identifying teachers. The candidates present are identified. The candidates need additional sheets of paper. The invigilators deliver the papers to them. Some candidates need water to drink the bearer brings water them. After an hour some candidates are seen going out for pass. They go one after an other. Another cannot be allowed unless one comes back. Some candidates take the help of copies to answer their papers. Some of them are caught red-handed and are expelled for three years. Others may escape somehow. The invigilators distribute threads among the candidates to stitch the additional sheets with the main khatas. A bell rings and the examination is over. Khatas are collected from the candidates. They wait near the hall for another sitting. After the second sitting is over they go back to their halting-places. A sitting of the examination lasts for 21 2 hours.
The scene in an examination hall is profoundly grave. But sometimes, untoward things are found between the invigilators and the examinees. Because sometimes they misunderstand each other and pick up a quarrel. Such things should be avoided with tact.
