HYDERABAD, April 28 No disturbance was seen in the examination centres today because section 144 Cr.PC was imposed in and around the centres, banning gathering of five or more people in the premises of college.

Students used solved papers or guides in the Higher Secondary School (HSC) certificate part-I examinations which began here on Tuesday.

During visits to some colleges this correspondent found invigilation staff r confined to their work to distribution and collection of answer sheets.

Once a student is caught red-handed while using unfair means in any subject he or she is to re-appear in said subject next year when second part of HSC examination is held.

It required a disciplinary action against invigilating staff for dereliction in their duties but that is normally not seen and their acts go unnoticed on the part of officials concerned primarily responsible for their supervision.

“If the invigilating staff is afraid of students` protest then they should give-up taking interest in invigilation duties for which they are always found interested. The staff is paid additional allowances by BISE as per government rules but they don`t perform their duties honestly”, said Prof. Ali Akbar Shah.

His vigilance team has found around more than 50 copy cases both in girls and boys colleges of city, Latifabad and Qasimabad talukas of Hyderabad district.

The invigilation staff is interested more in checking whether the vigilance team is arriving or not. And when it arrives the concerned invigilator ask students of his class-room to “be alert”. Reports said that even girls were witnessed using unfair means in the colleges.

There were reports that externals in many examination centres didn`t arrive for duties either for delay in delivery of their official letters by BISE or they were not interested in that. In such cases the concerned principal of the college performed his duties as internal superintendent.

BISE`s controller examination expressed satisfaction over conduct of exams saying there was no chaos at the centres but he personally did make some four to five cases in Muslim college against students. He claimed that he has been told that cases of unfair means are also reported in Tando Allahyar. He conceded that it was invigilation staff that is primarily responsible to check use of unfair means in addition to vigilante teams formed by board.

“We have been doing our level best and persuading parents to take interest in their children` studies so that they don`t have to indulge in cheating and copying. Its not the responsibility of BISE alone.

Teachers and parents have to share responsibility to curb copy culture”, he added. He claimed that in some cases board has deputed two to three externals at the centres if it is notorious for copy culture.

Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA) Hyderabad region president Mohammad Yaqoob Chandio told Dawn that SPLA has dissociated from such examinations where junior lecturers are made externals.