Delhi riots: Students appear for exams despite fear, tension

New Delhi: Though no new incident of violence was reported in northeast Delhi, where riots took place last week, but an atmosphere of fear and tension can be seen there. In this atmosphere, local students appeared for the board examinations conducted in various government schools on Monday.

There was a board examination of Physics for students of Class 12 and Music for Class 10 students on Monday. The examination was conducted amid special security arrangements inside and outside the centres.

Paramilitary forces were deployed at exam centres in Jafrabad, which was mojorly affected by the violence. Examinations were also conducted in Gokulpuri, Maujpur, Karawal Nagar and other areas in a peaceful manner.

Senior police officers offered rose flowers to the students who came for the examination held at the Khazuri Khas government school.

Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ashok Kumar said, “The purpose of giving rose flowers to children is to increase their self-confidence and to remove fear from their minds.”

Sandeep, who came to the Sarvodaya School in Gokulpuri, said: “We have prepared for these examinations throughout the year, although the last one week was also very stressful. During this time we could neither go for coaching nor study at home. Today, in the midst of immense stress, we are here to give this test”.

Another student Nutan said: “It is very stressful to reach the examination centre and appear in the exam here. The miscreants in our street have set many shops on fire and that scene still scares us.”

Nutan’s father and her two brothers also accompanied her to the examination centre to ensure her safety.

The CBSE had issued a notice on Sunday informing that from Monday, the examination in the northeast Delhi based centres will be conducted according to the schedule. The CBSE had written a letter to the Delhi Police Commissioner requesting him to provide security in and around the examination centres so that all the students could appear for the examinations without any fear.

The 10th-12th examinations that were scheduled to be held on February 28 and 29 in all violence-hit areas were postponed. On the request of the Delhi government, the CBSE also postponed the examinations scheduled to be held on February 26-27 at 86 centres. At the same time, the Delhi government has postponed the non-board exams to be held in all schools in northeast Delhi till March 7.

IANS