At last, PU evaluation begins

Bengaluru: Despite pre-university lecturers continuing their boycott of the valuation of the II PUC final examinations, the government set the ball rolling on Monday with college principals and education department officers beginning the coding of answer sheets in 46 valuation centres across the state, including Bengaluru. The coding work will be completed by Tuesday evening and the valuation work will begin on Wednesday, going by an education department officer. The day started with a series of meetings between primary and secondary education minister, Kimmane Rathnakar and senior officials of the PU board and education department. Later speaking to reporters, Mr Rathnakar promised there would be no problem with the evaluation and the results would be announced on time. As for the agitating lecturers, he once again ruled out accepting their demands. "We have offered a formula, but the lecturers association is not ready to accept it. So we have made alternative arrangements for the valuation work," he said. Meanwhile, the PU department has issued notices to all the lecturers, who did not turn up for the valuation work on Monday, asking why disciplinary action should not be taken against them, and why criminal cases should be not be registered against them for their continued defiance. PU lecturers association general secretary, Nagesh S,claimed the notices were paving the way for arrest of the agitating lecturers. Students , meanwhile, appeared unhappy with the state government's decision to go ahead with the valuation in the absence of the PU lecturers, afraid that the substitutes may not be able to do as good a job. "Erratic valuation is a big problem every year. We want the state government and the agitating lecturers to resolve their problems and let the valuation proceed, " pleaded a student,  Shalmili Bhat, who is hoping to do medicine. An education department officer also noted that while PU lecturers received training for the valuation and  could be punished if they  messed it up, no such action could be taken against private college or retired lecturers doing the job in their place.