All of you there must know this, a very eventful day in my life. I had always wanted to witness such high on drama stuff but never really got any chance to do. But today was a different day. First a little bit of a recap. As all the regular readers of my blog must have come to know by now that my exams are going on. And as I am a very poor mugger, so it’s not really my cup of tea to score marks at the post grads level, as what is basically asked in the examination are three to four page long proofs of theorems which need to crammed to be presented in the same manner. I always end up giving new proofs to the theorems being asked and since the examiners are very particular about the proofs being from their notes only, so I end up scoring just mediocre marks. Initially it used to bother me, bother me big time. But then I tried to self-introspect and I found that it’s okay. These exams are not a test of my intelligence but a test of my endurance. So I have started taking them in my stride. Unfazed about the marks I will score , I just aim at clearing my concepts and face every examination by giving my ‘on the spot’ proofs for them. Today was no exception. I had just prepared the basic definitions and a few theorems. When I got the question paper, hell broke on me when I realized that even the few theorems that I had done were not asked. So that means the whole paper had to be answered with my manufactured proofs. But I was mentally prepared so did not take me long to swallow the lump of pain and embarrassment.
But to my sheer surprise and relief, just when I had directed my brain for the proof construction work, I heard a commotion in the class. My class consists of a strength of almost 70 students with only 5 to 6 male students (mostly effeminate). So now suddenly the whole examination room was full with the shrill and high-pitched female voices. On inquiring what is wrong with everybody as I was oblivion to what was happening around, I came to know that the whole paper is out of course. Oh is it? I didn’t even realize that. Now you can very well imagine what was my level of preparation. But I knew that I can attend the paper as I had the shield of writing on my own and was no more bothered that I won’t be awarded marks for my innovation. But who cared, least did I, but others did. They had been struggling during the last 5 days preparation leave for the paper to cram the entire bundle of notes that is getting passed through generations. And good for me that it mattered them.
The girls were bold, pretty bold I must say. I was quiet much because as I had not studied at all for the paper and was for ready for just anything. But I wanted to go by the majority, infact not even a majority, the whole class was united, so I wanted to go by unity. Everybody got up from their seats and were near the gate to walk out but they weren’t allowed to move out. Our Head of the Department(HOD) came in rusing. He was made to hear comments he would not have even imagined. I was amazed to see the level of guts in my fellow mates. One smart female took the responsilbilty to present the case. Here is how it goes: HOD: What the hell is it going on here? Do you even realize that it’s an examination and a decorum should be maintained. Just behave yourself and stop shouting. All of you go back to your seats. I will expel you all otherwise. Girl: Sir, you the seniormost teacher in the department and we all have a lot of respect for you. But we are already in such a great trauma and instead of listening to our woes you are scolding us and threatening us. Enough is enough and we won’t resect you if you did so ( She just missed that gone are the days when the teacher used to do anything to keep his respect untainted, anyways at least she said something). HOD: So what is it that you want? I cannot call-off the examination. You have to take it, so just write what all you know. Girl: We do not know anything in the paper and we want that you call our subject teacher. We can prove that the whole question paper is untaught to us. HOD: The teacher has already been informed and he will be here in an hour. He leaves the room. In the meanwhile the smarter few are trying to coax the cowards like me to take a stand and stage a walk out, though I was not thoroughly convinced that it is going to work, still respecting unity I got up from my seat. Suddenly the HOD enters again with the teacher (with sleepy eyes and disheveled hair, as if he is some Einstein who has been interrupted in his invention). Girls in unison: Sir, what is it? We have not done anything that is being asked in the paper. You need to do something. Teacher: Oh the paper seems to ask questions which I had planned to do in the last ten days but could not do as nobody turned up. Girls: But that is not our fault. We don’t know, it’s not in our course. One very smart girl: Sir, just tell us one thing, how many in the question paper can you answer? We all clapped and hooted at the gutsy question as we all were unsure about his intellects. Teacher exits, embarrassed. HOD: Okay, see this way nothing is going to happen, what I will suggest you is that just write the paper with all that you can do. And after the paper, stage a demonstration and I assure you with all my integrity that actions will be taken that will be beneficial for all of you. It’s a gentleman’s promise. Girls began settling back to their seats. I was already settled. Everybody started writing and soon the atmosphere was all silent, the silence that follows a riot. After the examination got over, an application was signed by some 250 odd students of Masters in my University demanding a re-examination or a lenient checking for the paper. I hope that some action is taken though I have full doubts on my HOD keeping the gentleman’s promise… shhhhhh…. Let us just wait and watch!
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