This NEWS has been published in 7 NEWS papers in English and Hindi. Hope everyone will larn a good lesson. Those who have acquired jobs by misuse of scribe facility should be identified and suspended.
On 8/14/22, Minar Singh <[email protected]> wrote: > From Charging Lakhs to Offering Proxy Candidates, Is Exam 'Scribe > Service' Turning Into 'Business'? > New Delhi, India > Scribes charge from Rs 2,000 to rs 5 lakh for exam (Representational Image) > Scribes charge from Rs 2,000 to rs 5 lakh for exam (Representational Image) > Lack of scribes for candidates with visual impairment has led to a > rampant illegal ‘scribe business’ across the country, activists demand > national scribe banks. > Help offered to visually impaired students in form of scribes is > turning into a business, where on one hand deserving students find it > difficult to get a scribe, on the other hand, many ‘coaching > institutes’ offer scribes as ‘proxy’ candidates to solve papers on > behalf of students in exchange for lakhs of rupees. Depending on the > exams, several visually impaired candidates have reportedly been asked > anywhere from Rs 1 lakh to 5 lakh from scribes. > The availability of scribes in exchange for a large amount of money > has made seeking payments in return for helping in exams an unsaid > norm. This puts candidates, especially those from low-income > backgrounds at a disadvantage. > In 2021, a 31-year-old person with visual impairment, Satvir Jogi, had > to miss his exam as he failed to find a scribe despite multiple > attempts. For Jogi, who has been applying for several government exams > in the last few years, arranging a scribe has always been a challenge. > “Due to a paucity of reading material for visually impaired candidates > — online and in physical form — even the preparation for an exam is > more difficult when compared to visually-abled candidates. To top it > off, we have the biggest challenge of finding scribes. How are these > exams fair and equal for us?” says Jogi. > He adds, “I have given from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 on multiple occasions > to scribes to write my paper. If a visually impaired candidate is > lucky, then they sometimes get a volunteer scribe on time, otherwise, > scribes demand money as per their wish for appearing for exams.” > SCRIBES ALSO BEING USED AS PROXY CANDIDATES > Lack of resources and limited vacancies for the visually impaired has > made many take the illegal route as well. SK Singh, a rights activist > for people with visual impairment and secretary of the National > Association for the Blind, claimed that the scribe business is an open > secret now. It stems from a lack of scribe resources and other > challenges, including not enough material to prepare for exams and > fewer job vacancies for people with visual impairment. > They demand anywhere from Rs 2,000 to just appear for the exam to Rs 5 > lakh to clear it. With the demand for more money, scribes also give > services to prepare on the behalf of the candidate and appear for the > exam, alleged SK Singh, a rights activist for people with visual > impairment and secretary of the National Association for the Blind. > “Unemployment rates are at an all-time high and everyone wants to > secure a job. Several scribes have found this opportunity to make > money out of it. They demand anywhere from Rs 2,000 to just appear for > the exam to Rs 5 lakh to clear it. With the demand for more money, > scribes also give services to prepare on the behalf of the candidate > and appear for the exam.” > ‘WITH OUR SCRIBES DON’T WORRY ABOUT PASSING EXAM’ > To get to know some of the ‘proxy scribes’, News18 tried to contact a > few of them. One such person, who runs a coaching center in Mumbai, > told News18.com, “We have an academy. You only have to give us the > syllabus and make us meet the candidate. We are quite experienced at > it, so you don’t have to worry about passing the exam.” > He said, from teachers to students his academy has scribes candidates > of all ages and for various exams. > Speaking about the fee charged for being the scribe, he said it > depends on the exam. “While the fee is less for the non-technical > exams, the fee will be more for technical exams. But don’t worry about > the fee, we have an installment system also. A candidate can pay even > after they get a job,” he said. > ‘NO COMPLAINTS RECEIVED OF SCRIBE BUSINESS’ > The authorities, however, claim to not be aware of any ‘scribe > business’ going on in exams. > When News18 contacted the Department of Empowerment of Persons with > Disabilities, which is under the Ministry of Social Justice & > Empowerment, an official, on condition of anonymity, said, “Till now > we have not received any complaints of ‘scribe business’." > “In the future, however, if we get any such complaints we will inquire > about it. Meanwhile, if there are reports of policy being misused, > then the state government can inquire into it.” > The official added, “The policy is made for the betterment of the > candidates, but there are people who might take advantage of the > loophole, but there are bodies to look into it.” > LACK OF CONSENSUS AMONG AUTHORITIES OVER QUALIFICATION, AVAILABILITY OF > SCRIBE > The authorities have allegedly also failed to come to a consensus > about implementing guidelines for availing of scribe facilities. While > the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Social Justice and Employment > published the Guidelines for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities in > August 2018 give candidates the option to either bring their own > scribes or request one from the exam-conducting body, in many cases > authorities deny candidates to bring their own scribe. > In the recently held TS TET exam, many candidates were uncertain till > hours before exams whether or not they will get a scribe. Candidates > from different districts of Telangana said that their admit cards > mentioned that candidates with 40 per cent disability can avail > scribes, however, there was no mention if they will be provided with a > scribe by the exam conducting body or if the students can get their > own scribe for the exam. The confusion escalated among the candidates > when the TSTET helpdesk set up in different districts of the State > provided mixed information to the candidates. > News18 tried to call some of the district helpdesk numbers to verify > the claims. An operator from the Hyderabad helpdesk said that > candidates will have to go to the exam centre a day before the exams > to inform the administration that they require a scribe and then they > will be allocated a scribe. Meanwhile, the Khammam helpdesk said the > candidates can get their scribes but they have to be only Class 9 > qualified. However, Hyderabad’s helpdesk claimed that candidates > cannot get their scribe and only the exam-conducting body (Department > of School Education) will provide a scribe to candidates with > disabilities. > The TET convenor Radha Reddy denied the claims of confusion among the > candidates. She told New18, “There should be no confusion among the > candidates as these exams happen every year and candidates should know > that students cannot get their own scribes. Those who fit the > disability criteria will be provided with a scribe at the exam > center." > While guidelines by Ministry clearly state that candidates have option > of bringing own scribe to seeking one from exam conducting bodies, > rules often change at state-level. > On informing the qualifications of scribes TSTET convenor said that > scribes will only be class 9 pass and inter-pass. The guidelines > issued by Ministry, however, suggest that scribes should not be more > than the minimum qualification criteria of the examination. However, > the qualification of the scribe/reader should always be matric or > above. > Similar incidents of confusion over the scribes’ availability and > qualification are reported in multiple educational and recruitment > exams. > DEMAND FOR A NATIONAL, STATE SCRIBE POOL > Activists have been demanding the government create scribe banks so > that any examinee can readily avail of certified scribes on a > voluntary basis. Under a watch, this can also put a stop to proxy > candidate business. > Activists cite the lack of Central or State-regulated scribe pools, > which can be accessed by anyone, to the burgeoning illegal scribe > business. To add to their woes, guidelines related to scribes are > unclear across the country. > SK Singh, says, “The government had come up with the qualification > guidelines to curb exam malpractices, but that is only working against > students. There can be multiple ways to curb malpractices. Why is the > onus not on the invigilators to check if the candidate is using the > help of their scribe or not? Putting a cap on the scribe’s > qualification curbs visually impaired and other candidates with > disabilities to appear for exams.” > The General Secretary of the National Platform for the Rights of the > Disabled, Muralidharan, said that these norms would only make it more > difficult for the candidates to find a scribe. He said, “If a national > and state scribe bank will be available, this will automatically curb > such practices.” > Founder of the All India Conference of the Blind, J L Paul, said, > “Under Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, all visually > impaired people have the right to education and the government should > make sure that they get it. There are no proper efforts made by the > government to make sure that all visually impaired students get a > scribe. For this, a national and a state scribe bank will be very > beneficial.” > Calling the scribe qualification law draconian, another visually > impaired student Animesh, who has done his MA in International > Relations from Christ University Bangalore, said, “The government has > these rules to avoid malpractice but at the same time our > infrastructure is not that well developed. So first the government > should develop a network and then come up with such guidelines. Like > Ola and Uber, there should be online scribe pool apps through which we > can check the scribe’s qualifications and practise with them.” > This story is produced as part of the Laadli Media Fellowship 2022 > https://www.news18.com/news/education-career/form-charging-lakhs-to-offering-proxy-candidates-is-exam-scribe-service-turning-into-business-5624815.html > > -- > What’s most important is to put the person first, the disability > second Because we all are people first. > -- What’s most important is to put the person first, the disability second Because we all are people first. -- Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list.. 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