Cheating Business

By: Prem Prasad Sigdel

The cheating business in our country is getting g fostered. We have news on radio, television and newspapers time and again regarding cheating culture. Mostly it happens during the time of SLC examination till last year. When grading system had initiated, we experienced it less; still it is existing in our context. Mostly cheating in higher education is often ignored but it has been getting institutional in our higher education system.

I am going to present a discussion of three students who have studied bachelor level in a college of Kathmandu. They got on the bus which I was also travelling. There were three boys and they have been carrying bags in casual dress. They belong to one of the public college of the capital city. Among three, one of the boys had got long beard and he was from Surkhet. Others didn’t reveal their identity.  They said that the so-called politician of their college asked them 5000/- NRs with the bearded one; rather he assured him that he would give him 3or 4 thousand rupees to him if he would help in cheating. Instead the broker told him to collect other 12 persons so that they could pay 60,000 NRs to him. In return they would be let free in the class for cheating; either they can copy book or note that doesn’t matter. The boys also argued that if they would be able to get more than 75% it would be better to pay 5000NRs. Actually they didn’t pay the amount as I got from their discussion.

They also talked to go to Nagarkot which lies towards the Eastern part of Kathmandu Valley. Or it is in Bhaktapur district. One of the persons satirized the bearded boy that he hadn’t ever visited Nagarkot. In return he asked the bearded boy’s home district so I knew that the boy was from Surkhet. The bearded boy also complained that his friend would satirize him of being ignorant of different places around Kahtmandu valley. They have even planned to go to Nagarkot on motorbike.

The boys are only representatives of the cheating culture in our higher education institutions. The so-called leaders who had admitted to do politics in campuses would do the same. They would influence or threaten teachers and officials so they were/are let free of cheating which is common for them. I studied Intermediate and Bachelor in Prithvi Narayan Campus, Pokhara. The so-called leaders also admitted with us. I had never seen them in examination hall rather they would pass the examination when the result was published. I was much puzzled and asked to my friends. Most of them wouldn’t know the reason and one of them have some political touch and he cleared me that student leaders would write in their own room taking question from the college.

The situation is too bad as I have experienced it. They have taken question paper and answer sheet on the day of examination at the very time and submitted to the administration.  This is a representative example of such educational institutions of our country. The so-called leaders would take Master’s degree certificates of different subjects. They have never gone to class neither do they have time or habit reading in their room. However, they have got certificates of different subjects year by year. So the mystery can be understood easily. Mostly the student politicians have got the certificates by cheating. In my cognition, may be some of the leaders would have done it; almost 95% of the leaders would cheat and pass their examination. Thus real scenario of university is too much horrific.

Similarly, one of the persons was from Eastern Hill who had passed MA in Mathematics by cheating as he was also the leader. Later on he appeared TU Service Commission in 2059/60 BS. He had been living with us at the adjacent room in Kritipur. He told us that he had written nothing so that he could write by finding answer sheet from the professor. Ultimately, he was successful to find out his answer sheet and was able to pass the Service Commission. Hence, he became the Lecturer of TU. The condition of TU is too much miserable, puzzling and marvelous. Cheating culture has become one of the systems of it from students to the lecturers.

These boys have reminded me regarding the cheating of Tribhuvan University. We can visualize how the system of our Universities has been going on. Cheating in higher education hasn’t come on focus like SLC cheating. I had heard most of the political leaders would cheat in our time; whereas I have listened that they have bargained with students as well. At that time I thought that some of the persons would have done it; nowadays it has been taking institutional form so there is collective bargaining.

The quality of University education in our country is weak which is proved by the world ranking system of Universities. If such cheating culture will be same in the future, the consequence will be too bad. The country has been running out of system that we have feelings in Universities also.