Its with a heavy heart that I have to write something negative about my institution. Recently things have been very severe and serious in the college. As a student for the first time ever in my life I failed. Those of you know me, will be wondering. Those of you do not know me should know that my career is 80% till date, that I am completing masters this year. So now you must start wondering , what happened?
It was the third trimester of the college. I was suffering from fever which was later diagnosed to be typhoid. I could not attend the first two days of the college. We have this subject, 'Management Control Systems' as a part of our curriculum in the third trimester. They say, troubles always come in swarms. I missed two lectures of MCS. The subject is a half-credit(the weight-age given to this is half of other important subjects) course. So the corresponding number of lectures scheduled in this were just 12 instead of normal 24 sessions in a trimester. In short I had already reached a point where I could miss just 1 more class.
I attended the third lecture after recovering from my illness. The faculty takes attendance first. When my roll number came; 108 - 'yes sir'. He called me down. 'Idhar aa(come here).., stand here.'
I was standing in front of the whole class. He kept on taking the attendance. At last he finished his mundane task and looked at me.
' Why were you absent?'
'Sir, I was sick. I was suffering from typhoid.'
'Main tereko question poochega. Nahi bata paya to class se bahar jana padega. Main tera attendance bhi katega. '( I will ask you questions. If you cannot tell the answer, you have to go out of the class. I will deduct your attendance too.)
'Theek hai Sir' (ok sir)
'What are the main functions of a manager?'
'Planning-Organizing-Leading-Controlling'
'Heh; get out. Tu kuch bhi bakwaas kar raha hai. (you are speaking bull-shit)
He immediately deducted my attenance.
'Apna book le aur nikal ja. Maine ye cheez nahi sikhayi hai'(Take your book and get out. I didn't teach this.)
'Sir, ham sabne yahi padha tha pichle trimester me.'(sir, we all studied this last trimester)
Then he asked the class whether it was true. My answer was correct, but he did not accept it. It was really amazing to see that the whole class was united on the fact that the faculty was just behaving as a dictator and was doing all wrong stuff which could affect the morale of a student. Everyone opposed his act of sending me out. So he had no other choice but let me in. But he asked my roll number and said 'I will fail you.'
Three months flew by like the wind. He used to come to the class and just scold each and everyone he could. He would vent out his frustrations openly stating that he disliked the students here and that he is superior to all , even the director of the college. We gave our end-term examinations. I had to prepare very very sincerely and I did spend more number of hours in the subject.
'Results are out, did you see yours?' My friend asked me. I hurried to the college. It would always be the second most shocking moment of my life.(my first being my grandpa's death. I am sorry for that).FAIL in MCS. I had never ever failed in a paper before. I checked out other subjects. 4 straight A's and 4 straight B's. That makes it a score of 3.5 out of 4 (GPA).
It was shocking. I wondered, my paper went well and I was so so sure of my numericals. I decided to personally re-evaluate my paper with the concerned faculty. I went to him. I saw my paper, compared it with the correct answer. Each and every step was correct, the answer was correct. Out of 15 he had given me just 6. The other question was a theory question which he said to be totally wrong. He said I deserved a zero but he had considered because I had written some key points. He had given 3 marks there out of 10. My score 9 out of 25. I argued that my numerical problem was 100% correct. His reply was, ' I will not give you marks, do as you wish. Take the matter to whomever you wish. I will not pass you.' I ran from door to door of every authority in the college. Everyone just asked who the faculty is and once they heard his name, they said,'I cannot help you in this matter.' They feared him as he had personal contacts with the managing board of the institution.This matter escalated into a matter of concern.
So one day the registrar called me. He said,' See, there are two things you can do.' First option is pay 2000 rupees as re-exam fees and reappear the paper. We will see that copies are corrected properly. Mostly people pass in a re-exam.
Second way is, we will send your paper to an outside college where the faculty of that college will evaluate your answers. If they are correct, you will get full marks. If not, you will have to drop a year. And till the time your papers comeback after rechecking, you will not be allowed to appear for any campus placements. I also cannot guarantee you the time this will take. It may take more than 3 to 4 months.'
As on date, I have paid 2000 rupees and have re-appeared the paper. My paper did not go well as it was a course which was of minor value and I had not imagined to fail, so never cared to keep in touch(though i spent one whole day before the re-exam). Newer courses have taken up priorities. I am awaiting results. My first year aggregate turns out to be 3.3 out of 4. But still I am fail.
Saying all these doesn't make me feel like a revolutionary. I am just asking one simple question. Why should I have any obligations to this system. If a hardworking, genuinely talented fellow cannot get even a small thread of respect, why at all to be proud of this system. I look back at the moment I joined this institute and say to myself,' Was it worth?' A college where there are no specific rules of correction and checking, a place where ego is the driver and the only parameter of evaluation, is it suitable to even think about securing an admission here. Its not just the case with me. I am sure there is a Swatanu in many colleges of India with a similar story. I don't know how much expertise I have in this kind of system, but genuinely, I wish to know whether I should put up any efforts to even get any due attention. Why should I consider respecting these institutions which do not respect the hard work and dedication but are worshipers of green, laminated, crispy bundles of money. A person belonging to a lower middle class family has no option but to succumb to such atrocities. Because his education is his bread and butter. I was just doing that with sincerity. Can you please answer me, 'Where did I go wrong?'