Sanjay Mishra

Journalist, Politics National-Global Affairs, Chevening, IIMC, Humanist Present: Associate Editor, Dainik Jagran, Tweets personal, re-tweets no endorsement

[Satish Acharya @satishacharya]

Rs 22,000 crore loan waiver!

[Dainik Jagran @JagranNews]

संसद में अब भी टकराव जारी, गृहमंत्री की जवाबदेही तय करने की मांग पर अड़ा विपक्ष; सरकार ने बनाई नई रणनीति

#Parliament #AmitShah

https://t.co/yRicriZ7jR

[Kaushal K. Vidyarthee @vidyarthee]

The Paper-leak Mess: Punitive Measures are not the same as preventive ones

Yesterday, the “anti-paper leak” Bill was passed amidst the cacophony of the Rajya Sabha. Honestly speaking, there was nothing “anti-paper leak” about it. The Bill focuses on the post-paper leak fiasco. The government got its headlines. But no serious attempt was made to fix the broken examination system. Nor was there any acknowledgement of the deeper structural issues plaguing our education system.

The protests emerged from deep mistrust and frustration with the ruling dispensation. They succeeded in awakening a sense of democratic rights and responsibilities among the youth, students, and younger generations. They achieved a moral victory by dismantling the most prominent symbol of systemic collapse - the resignation of the Education Minister. But on the policy front, they got only three band-aids from the government.

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Three Government Band-Aids

First, keeping the formula intact, one loyal RSS functionary has simply been replaced by another. A full-time Education Minister has been replaced by a part-time one. It is ironic that the new Education Minister is also holding the portfolios of Renewable Energy and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. With this arrangement, I doubt the education sector will be renewed or energised, or that the consumers of education will be satisfied. Such a change cannot even be called cosmetic. It reflects deliberate indifference. The government understands the crisis but does not value it enough. Part-time leadership cannot supervise sustained and transformative change.

Second, the new Bill is like placing a bucket beneath a leaking roof, as actually happened in the new Parliament building. It extends punishments in terms of fines and imprisonment, adds another layer of investigation apparatus, and stipulates timelines for judicial proceedings and review. Yet these measures address only part of the mess after a paper leak. The Bill is silent on critical questions concerning students: Will re-examinations be time-bound? Will there be any compensation for affected students? Will the heads of examination agencies be held accountable? Nothing. The answer is nowhere to be found. Past records show that there has never been any intention to ensure actual punishment. Post-facto investigations have also rarely led to meaningful accountability or deterred wrongdoers.

Third, the bureaucratic answer to every problem in India is to set up a committee. It was done earlier. It has been done again. This time it is called a “Task Force.” Our cultural affinity for committees and recommendations is monumental. We will get yet another report and another set of recommendations, but no deadlines, no funds, and no action plan. Maybe, after a few years, one more committee will be set up to review the recommendations of the earlier one. You do not keep changing fire alarms to improve the security of a building. Meaningful reforms need much more than another committee.

Let us now return to the structural issues behind the mess we are in today.

Three Structural Issues

First, Excessive Centralisation. We have centralised several examinations in the hands of a few agencies. Almost a hundred million examination papers are written each year in India. Chaotic centralisation, undertaken with the objective of control rather than facilitation, transparency, or trust, is designed to fail. In such a system, a single failure or leak can have devastating nationwide effects. We have witnessed this repeatedly. Yet we have learnt very little.

Second, Unchecked Privatisation of the Examination Ecosystem. Public examination processes, technology platforms, logistics, security provisions, and other critical functions are often handed over or outsourced to a small group of private vendors. Blacklisted vendors find their way back into the system. These entities often work in a disjointed manner and with little accountability. Such arrangements rarely produce resilient systems.

Third, Institutional Capture of Educational Establishments. Key positions - including Vice-Chancellors, officials of testing agencies, personnel in regulatory bodies, and other professionals in educational institutions - are filled on the basis of political proximity and ideological loyalty. Professional competence is overlooked, sacrificing institutional capability. In many cases, crucial positions are left vacant in the search for a suitable ideologue. The post of UGC Chairperson has remained vacant for months. The fate of AICTE remains uncertain. If we make our institutions weak and incapable, we must accept the consequences for examination integrity.

Paper leaks are symptoms of failing and structurally weak systems. We need a multi-layered approach to restore trust in the system. We need to develop institutions in such a way that trust is not broken in the first place. For this, we need three actions that actually matter.

Three Meaningful Actions

First, Undertaking Genuine and Wider Consultation. Students, teachers, educationists, cyber-security experts, examination experts, and administrators must all be consulted in an open-minded manner with the intent of serious reform. Every stakeholder must come together to design reforms. We should also learn from domestic successes as well as global best practices such as the SAT, GMAT, and GRE. We must ask difficult but pertinent questions. Can there be a common aptitude test? Can one score be valid across multiple recruitments? Can candidates appear multiple times? Can there be flexibility for individuals to choose examination dates? Can there be permanent examination centres?

Second, Reforming the Examination System from End to End. Transparent recruitment calendars, predictable schedules, stable syllabi, strict vendor management, independent physical and digital audits, and modern security protocols are among the most basic requirements of a foolproof and robust examination system. Regulation of coaching centres is equally important. Standardisation and rationalisation of examination fees are essential for millions of students and applicants. The organising principle of reform should be prevention, not punishment.

Third, Restoring Institutional Credibility. Students will begin trusting the system when they find that professional competence is preferred over political interests in running educational institutions. These institutions are meant to serve the future of this country, not to advance partisan interests. Credibility is built by the leadership of every institution.

Students understand the distinction between individual culpability and institutional accountability. The protests may have given an edge to a particular demand, but a foolproof examination system requires serious reform. Students would rather have better institutions than bigger jails for wrongdoers.

Paper leaks are spreading like cancerous tumours. You do not treat cancer with stronger painkillers. You diagnose the disease, remove its causes, perform the necessary surgery, and rebuild the patient’s health. Our examination system deserves the same seriousness.

https://t.co/ZfwLIxhg0a

[Sandeep Adhwaryu 🇮🇳 @CartoonistSan]

#ManmohanSingh #CoalScam @timesofindia

[Harikishan Sharma @harikishan1]

Express Impact: Agriculture Minister Bhagirath Choudhary returns subsidy he took for his own farm

@IndianExpress

https://t.co/FBNnjYZP1S

[Sanjay Mishra @mishraonweb]

It’s very very painful, shocking and Sad. Jaswinder was my colleague for few years a very straight forward professional sports journalist and nice human. Great loss. RIP Jaswinder 🙏

[Press Club of India @PCITweets]

We are deeply saddened by the untimely demise of veteran sports journalist Jaswinder Sidhu in a tragic road accident.

A familiar and respected presence at the Press Club of India, his passing marks a profound loss toIndian journalism.

His dedication to sports journalism, unwavering professionalism and insightful reporting earned him immense respect across the media fraternity.

We extend our heartfelt condolencesto his family, friends, colleagues and all those whose lives he touched.

May his soul rest in eternal peace.

#RIP

[Sandeep Adhwaryu 🇮🇳 @CartoonistSan]

#JantarMantar #DharmendraPradhan @timesofindia

[Satish Acharya @satishacharya]

Fear! Darr ke aage jeet hai! #GenZWins #StudentProtests

[Sakshi Joshi @sakshijoshii]

Feeling useful is the best form of satisfaction 🤌🏽

[Sanjay Mishra @mishraonweb]

कहना क्या चाहते हो भाई ? ये जनता है सब जानती हैं। आपके खेल में तो सब ठीक था। पर बयान की जलेबी का यह खेला आपकी गरिमा की गिल्लियों को सम्मान की बाउंड्री से बाहर कर देगा

[Sandeep Adhwaryu 🇮🇳 @CartoonistSan]

#JantarMantar #CJP @timesofindia

[vir sanghvi @virsanghvi]

Every opposition MP who sold himself or herself and defected to the government should hang their heads in shame.
These young people are facing brutality in the streets because the people they elected to represent them were greedy little cowards who took the cash & switched sides

[Sandeep Adhwaryu 🇮🇳 @CartoonistSan]

#JantarMantar #CJP #Dreams

[Satish Acharya @satishacharya]

The legend! #jantarmanter #DharmendraPradhan

[Sandeep Adhwaryu 🇮🇳 @CartoonistSan]

From the @timesofindia archives #Bollywood

[Sandeep Adhwaryu 🇮🇳 @CartoonistSan]

#TheSoundOfSilence @timesofindia

[Manish Tewari @ManishTewari]

HOW DO I PROVE MY INDIAN CITIZENSHIP?

My two pennies worth 👇

@thetribunechd

[Manish Tewari @ManishTewari]

WHY INDIA NEEDS A NEW ANTI DEFECTION LAW NOW !

My take :

https://t.co/aOkgHUzxZX

[bachi karkaria @bachikarkaria]

Ramachandra Guha is asking the wrong question about Rahul Gandhi https://t.co/iHBrl5WxrX via @theprintindia

[pranav jha @pranavINC]

झारखंड से राज्यसभा चुनाव के लिए उम्मीदवार बनाकर मुझ पर विश्वास व्यक्त करने के लिए मैं कांग्रेस के शीर्ष नेतृत्व, झारखंड प्रभारी, झारखंड के माननीय मुख्यमंत्री, मुझे समर्थन देने वाले सभी विधायकों और पार्टी कार्यकर्ताओं का हृदय से आभार व्यक्त करता हूँ। आप मेरे आजीवन परिवार रहेंगे।

एक किशोर छात्र के रूप में मैंने कांग्रेस की विचारधारा को अपनाया था। तब से सार्वजनिक जीवन की लंबी यात्रा में मैंने जीत और हार दोनों देखी हैं। चुनावी हार मुझे विचलित नहीं करती, लेकिन लोकतंत्र पर लालच, प्रलोभन और दबाव का बढ़ता प्रभाव अवश्य चिंतित करता है।

लोकतंत्र की असली ताकत स्वतंत्र और निष्पक्ष निर्णय में निहित है। मैं आशा करता हूँ कि हमारा लोकतंत्र इतना मजबूत रहे कि हर जनप्रतिनिधि अपने आदर्शों और सिद्धांतों के अनुसार मतदान कर सके।

मैं झारखंड के अपने भाइयों, बहनों और साथियों के प्रेम और समर्थन के लिए कृतज्ञ हूँ। मेरा संघर्ष हर स्तर पर जारी रहेगा, क्योंकि विचार कभी हारते नहीं हैं।
जय हिंद।