A Talk with G. Balaramaiah, Secretary, BIE

Environmental education is the commencing point for intermediate examination, which was introduced from the academic year 2006 - 2007. Environmental education is a compulsory qualifying subject; which is conducted before be commencement of prac/theory examination for any academic year. One has to get through this subject; otherwise, even though a student qualifies in all other subjects, his marks sheet will not be issued. The student has to get through this compulsory subject to get the marks memo.

As far as the practical exams are concerned, they were successfully conducted as per the norms, which commenced on 2nd February and completed on 22nd February. Practical examinations were conducted in 2495 junior colleges in which 3,64493 MPC candidates appeared for Physics and Chemistry and 93,790 BiPC candidates appeared for Botany, Zoology, Physics and Chemistry. The total number of students enrolled for practical exams are 458283. According to the information furnished and provided by the board, practical examinations were conducted smoothly. Now, we are moving towards the theory examination. Our arrangements for theory examination are also completed. The number of general colleges is 3823 and exclusive vocational colleges is 2414.

To find out more…, TCG speaks to Mr. G. Bala Ramaiah, Secretary, Board of Intermediate Education, in an exclusive interview.

TCG: How about the arrangements for Intermediate Exam?

G. Bala Ramaiah: As far as the theory examinations are concerned, all the arrangements are completed. Intermediate theory examinations for 2009 are going to commence from March 4th and will be completed by 24th March. 2214 Junior colleges comprising Degree & Junior colleges as well as exclusive Junior colleges are constituted as examination centers. We have already dispatched timetables, college nominal rules, center nominal rules, photo hall ticket, photo attendance sheet and day-wise attendance sheet to all colleges. Apart from that OMR, barcode sheets are also dispatched to respective colleges. The principal of college will hand over the hall ticket to the student. To facilitate personal involvement, we have printed two separate handbooks of instructions, one for practical examination and

another for the theory examination, and they are supplied to all examination centers. Accordingly, answer books are also dispatched to RIO where they will be handed over to the district examination committee. District Examination Committee will take care of the examination at the district level. Our RIO will be the DEC (District Examination Committee) convener. Apart from which DEC consists of two senior principals and one junior principal and also constitute high power committee consisting of District Collector, Superintendent of Police, Regional director of intermediate education, District Vocational Education officer, and one senior principal from junior colleges and on the day of examination, one subject expert relevant to the examination. High power committee will impart the entire role of monitoring, in which District Collector and Superintendent of Police will have the major role to play providing facilities concerned, particularly relevant to transport, Police and squad facilities. Collector will coordinate with other departmental works as far as the examination is concerned. We take the help of APSRTC to provide transport wherever required.

TCG: Does the squad team include any other private agencies?

GBR: No private person will be appointed as a squad; only government officials are appointed as squad team. If it is a flying squad, police people and revenue people will be there and if it is a sitting squad, only cadre from our junior colleges will be there. As far as the departmental officer, chief superintendent and squad team is concerned only. Government officials are taken for the intermediate examination.

 TCG: Are there any changes in the examination pattern?

GBR: There are no changes in the theory examination paper pattern, but for the practical examination in unaided centers, we have appointed Departmental Officers who are either lectures from government colleges or aided colleges for monitoring and taking up the whole responsibility regarding examination. Previously for practical examination, squads were not there, but this year we have appointed flying squads and also a high power committee for monitoring different centers for successful conduction of the intermediate examination.

TCG: How many students are appearing for the exam?

GBR: First year intermediate: 802684 general candidates and 57879 vocational candidates will be appearing for first year intermediate examination, i.e. total 860563 numbers of candidates. Second year intermediate: 840877 general candidates, 54035 vocational candidates i.e. totally, 894912 numbers of candidates. If you see, the second year candidates seem to be more than the first year but in the real situation, the number of first year students will be more than the second year since the failed students will be there in second year, because of that the number will be increasing. They are around 190000 first year inter failed candidates for general and vocational. So nearly 700000 are regular second year students for general and vocational whereas 860563 are regular students for general and vocational in first year intermediate. There is an increase of 150000 students enrolled.

TCG: When are the exams results expected?

GBR: The intermediate exam results are mostly expected in the last week of April, may be
between April 25th to 30th.

TCG: Which website provides online results announcement the intermediate results?

GBR: The board of intermediate education official site www.bieap.gov.in declares the results online. The students can see their results as well as marks scored in each subject from the said website.

TCG: What are the dates for instant and supplementary exam?

GBR: Mostly, instant exams are conducted in the last week of May. The supplementary exam is conducted in the first week of September 2009.
 
TCG: When are the results expected for instant and supplementary exam?

GBR:  The results for instant exam will be declared in the last week of June, and that of supplementary exam in October last week.

TCG: Do government junior colleges impart coaching for EAMCET? If yes, how long has the plan been in place?

GBR: Yes, in every district, the training is taken care of by the directorate of intermediate, it is a governmental organization. In every district, they have identified a college in district headquarters and within the college, they are providing training for EAMCET. For two years, the plan has been implemented in all districts.

TCG: Could you please explain the opportunities for vocational students? What courses can they choose after successfully completing vocational courses?

GBR: Vocational courses are employment-oriented courses. Though we have provided them vertical mobility; basically they are all self-employment courses. If any student wants to go for higher education, he can go in similar lines or they can write the bridge course and go to engineering and medicine stream. For commerce students, they can go for BA and B.Com.  But the basic concept of vocational courses is not for higher education but for employment generation. These are mostly employment oriented as they land in the profession or job. Basically, these courses are not higher education but are terminal courses.

TCG: What courses are included under vocational courses?

GBR: There are 33 courses offered under vocational courses. They are Crop Production and Management, Dairying, Fisheries, Sericulture, Accounting & Taxation, Marketing & Salesmanship, Office Assistantship, Banking & Financial Services, Insurance & Marketing, Automobile Engineering technician, Construction technology, Computer Science and Engineering, Electronic Engineering Technician, Electrical Wiring & servicing of electrical Appliances, Rural Engineering Technician, Water Supply & Sanitary Engineering, Desk top publishing & Printing technology, Commercial Garment Designing and Making, Fashion & Garment Making, Hotel Operations, Pre-School Teacher Training, Computer Graphics & Animation, Tourism & Travel Techniques, Dental Technician, Dental Hygienist, Medical Lab Technician, Multi purpose Health Worker (Female), Ophthalmic Technician, Physiotherapy, X-Ray Technician, Multipurpose Veterinary Assistant, and Multipurpose Health
Worker (Female).

TCG: When is the date of examinations for the vocational students? When are the results expected for vocational students?

GBR: For Vocational students also the timetable is same as for the intermediate examination and the results will also be declared with the intermediate examination results.

TCG: Tell us about bridge course? When do you conduct bridge course exam?

GBR: We have two categories of bridge course, one bridge course is related to Bio technology and another bridge course is related to vocational course.  For Engineering Biotechnology, they have kept Mathematics as the compulsory subject and BiPC students are not eligible for that.
They have made mathematics as compulsory subject. From that point of view, we have created an opportunity for BiPC candidates who are willing to appear, they can appear for mathematics for which they have separate syllabus and also a separate question paper. The bridge course examination is also conducted for the same span of time with the intermediate exams.

TCG:  When are the results expected for the bridge course?

GBR: The results of Bridge course exam are declared with the intermediate examination results. Because it is an additional subject, an additional memo/certificate with intermediate marks memo will be issued, the candidate chooses to use it for further education or to change the stream with his own interest.

TCG: Your advice to students appearing for Intermediate examination?

GBR: Students should concentrate on intermediate examination also as they have to write well. Nowadays the standard of education is also going down. Just knowing the things and writing the exam between the marks is not a big thing. For example, the same students who are writing Intermediate and EAMCET are not doing well in IIT entrance test, why? Same syllabus is there, same teachers and same knowledge. Because, the analytical values of subjects are not being stressed upon. So, the students should know what they are reading and studying, not only reproducing things from the text books and writing the examination. They should know and think over what subjects are taught and what is there in syllabus. That is my sincere advice to students.

TCG: Give your opinion on Inter marks weightage in EAMCET?

GBR: Much can be said on both sides, the government has issued orders in providing 25% weightage of inter marks in giving EAMCET ranking, because it will become advantageous to rural students, but some say it is a disadvantage for rural students as the so-called private corporate colleges students will get more marks in intermediate examination. The fact is that the students who study well in both in government colleges as well as private institutions. They are getting more marks in both intermediate and EAMCET also. Some what it should be there, as so many seats are there in engineering colleges now days, there should be weightage for intermediate marks because that is being neglected.