To ensure free and fair HSC examinations in Thane this year, the Thane Zilla Parishad’s (TZP) education department has decided to deploy a special all-woman flying squad to keep a tab on those girl students intent on indulging in unfair means to push their grades higher up.

Speaking to DNA, TZP secondary section education officer, SA Patil confirmed the deployment of the all-woman flying squad. He said, “Although the incidents of copying at examinations have gone down, we are not taking any chances. It is difficult for men to check girl students. So, we have resorted to an all-woman team this time.”

Colleges are increasingly lending start-up capital to students wishing to start new ventures of their own

The incubation programmes in colleges have led students to start their own companies while studying. While some colleges are helping students with their initial capital investment, many others have programmes training them to set-up companies with zero capital. "We provide assistance to students, so that they become entrepreneurs, and not just employees," says Saket Jalan, chief mentor, Jain Centre for Entrepreneurship.

The dip in number of companies coming for recruitment on the first day of placements at IIMA has left the students disappointed. However, an IIMA student who is yet to be offered a job at the placement said, “It is not only IIMA but all other institutes that have been affected by the recession adversely.” 

Exercise makes the body more efficient and lends greater endurance

Are there negative markings for exceeding the word limit? A student from Ahmedabad

No marks are cut for exceeding the word limit. However, it is better to adhere to the specified word limit. This should be practised at the time of revision, which will also help in completing the paper in the allotted time.

Will a student lose marks if he or she opts for Hindi as the medium of answering more than two papers? A student from Surat

Certainly not. The board gives students the option of answering questions in Hindi or English. Marks are deducted only in the case of wrong answers.

It seems the global meltdown will have an impact on placements at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) this year, too. There was a general air of disappointment at the institute on Wednesday - Day Zero of final placements for 2009 - as only 9 companies had turned up for recruitment.

Sources said this was 16 companies less than the number that had turned up for recruitment at IIMA on the first day of placements last year. Placement officials at the institute, however, declined to confirm or deny the figures.

Last year, 25 companies had arrived on Day Zero and 65% (i.e., 161 students) of the graduating batch had either received job offers or opted out by the end of the day.

Unhappy over lack of a holiday before a key subject — bookkeeping and accountancy

Commerce students attempting HSC exams this year have a grouse against the timetable. According to them, the board has failed to allot a holiday for one of their key subjects — bookkeeping and accountancy.

“Bookkeeping and accounts is one of the important subjects for commerce students. As I have opted for secretarial practice (SP), I have three important papers one after the other and there is no break for the accountancy exam,” complained Anahita Nair, a commerce student of Sathaye College, Vile Parle.