Caste in PU hall-tickets; Govt.'s move raises panic among students

Bangalore - 09 March 2012: In another effort to communalize the education sector in Karnataka, BJP ruled government has issued hall tickets for 2nd PUC students that clearly displays caste group of candidate. This irrational castestic step taken by PU board has created shock wave among the student and parent community of the state.

For the first time in the history of education system and Karnataka, caste of student writing examination is mentioned. To avoid identity based irregularities, only register no. of the candidate is being mentioned on the hall-tickets so far in all kind of examinations.
2nd PUC examinations in Karnataka will commence from March 15; and this illogical move has made students worried, since there are very chances of castestic/ communal bias from the teacher in-charge of examination hall, supervisors and inspectors. There are also chances of favoritism based on caste.

While PU Board has justified the move saying that it was to ensure that no student should miss the opportunity of caste based felicitation as it happened with a student last year. But this response has not satisfied anyone in the civil society.

While caste is neither mentioned in 10th marks cards nor in PUC marks card, and the state that is responsible for promoting secular thoughts among the students itself is engaged in this kind of blunders, what could be the destiny of society? ask the concerned citizens.

Terming this move as anti-constitutional and dangerous, educationists, students, parents and leaders of student organizations have condemned the move and have demanded the immediate withdrawal of hall-tickets and to issue proper hall tickets.

This is not first kind of such effort to promote communalism by BJP led government of Karnataka. Very first year of government formation students of minority community were targeted by holding 'anti-terrorism' campaigns across the state. It also tried to enforce Bhagvad Gita in schools in later days. This hall ticket move has surfaced, while the protests against saffronization of text books are still continuing across the state.