dear list i think screen readers + audio questions should be implemented for exam's like CAT, XAT, GMAT OR EXAMS which include maths and number questions and i feel we have to come forward and stop these things because I know some people who played with guidelines and now sitting at good places
regards ishan jain On Mon, Aug 15, 2022 at 12:13 PM Akash Kakkar <[email protected]> wrote: > Wow, really wonderful. > > This should be escalated in a very serious way really. > > Loopholes should be fixed and deserving candidates should get the jobs > and people who have or getting the jobs by exploiting loopholes should > be taught a lesson. > > I know, now people will start bashing me, so go ahead, I don't care. > > On 8/14/2022 7:48 PM, Minar Singh wrote: > > 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. > >> > > > > -- > 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.. > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "AccessIndia" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/ef266896-b6e7-977f-849a-cfcef9d938da%40gmail.com > . > -- 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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