Outside students swarm east UP as Board examinees

LUCKNOW: Hundreds of students from states like Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Nepal have descended upon places like Ballia, Ghazipur, Jaunpur and other places in these districts in eastern UP such as Saidpur and Belthara Road, in view of the ongoing UP Board examinations.
Every year, a large number of outsider students as well from students from other districts of U.P., come to these places - besides many others in some more districts - to appear in the class X and XII examinations conducted by the UP Board.There are organized groups which specialise in getting the forms filled up by such students, get them enrolment and examination admit letters and an assurance of passing in the practical and theory examinations - all at a price.
A visit to any of these places presents an unusual sight. Students conversing among themselves in Nepalese, Punjabi or other non-local languages are swarming all over the place. There is hardly any rooms available on rent in these places as even private house-owners have given rooms on rent to these students. Since they have to stay for a limited period and for a definite purpose, most such students pay whatever is demanded as rent.
Agents of the copying mafia - including unscrupulous elements from the schools - are known to collect Rs 8000 to Rs 10,000 from each student at the time of filling up of the Board form, and there are different rates for passing practical and theory examinations. It is learnt that there are even different rates for ensuring success in second or first division.
As far as accommodation is concerned, the rooms close to the examination centres are available at high rent, whereas those far away are slightly cheaper. The small roadside eateries, grocery shops and other shops are also doing brisk business from these seasonal visitors. Since business is booming, no one is complaining.
A secondary education department official says that there is no possibility of students from appearing in the UP Board examinations. The officials are also non-committal on existence of copying mafia, saying that all measures have been taken, including a tight vigil at examination centres, to see that the use of unfair means in the examination is minimized.