Prateek Sharma, a class X student who is busy preparing for his Board examination scheduled to commence from Thursday, was running from one book store to other to grab a copy of the 21 question sets, the most sought after book for students appearing for the Board exams. However, Prateek had to go home disappointed and instead borrow it from one of his friends as the book was not available in any of the books stores.

According to one of the sales person at Milan Book Store, Vashi, the 21 question sets are the most preferred ones and it's like a Bible for the students. "We start getting the fresh stocks from December and it sells like hot cakes," he said adding, students enquire for the books even one day before the exams.

With HSC students going through the confusion of allotment of centres in Thane, students of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations due to start today, have not been exempted from the headache either. Little wonder then, it has made SSC students jittery.

Sample this: Rahul Joshi (name changed), a student of SSC, has been allotted four different centres for four papers. A tensed Rahul blurted out: “I do not understand how this has happened. I went to check my centre at a school in Kalwa and found that I could only appear for the first paper at that centre. I have to go to four other centres for other papers. This chaotic situation has forced my father to take leave from office so that he can be with me for the entire exam period.”

The examinations may be currently on in full swing, but there are still scores of students who are deprived of books. There might perhaps be some who gave up their dream of pursuing studies due to books being too big for their pockets. It is for such children that a voluntary body, Mulund Parents Association, has come up with the  website http://bookdonors.tripod. com

Days after Lalita Shivarkar (18) — a resident of Alandi Mhatobachi ended her life after finding it difficult to cope with the exam pressure, counsellors in the city have stressed that a congenial environment should be created by educational institutions and parents to mentally prepare their children for the exams.

Shivarkar, who was appearing for the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exams, consumed poison on February 2 at her residence, after failing to cope with the pressure.

How can parents help the child after an examination? A parent from Ahmedabad Praise your child for doing his or her best on the test. Talk about what was asked in the test and how to manage the performance in the next one. Try to avoid your analytical thinking about the children on that day and encourage your child for the next subject paper.

What should parents do on the night before and the day of an examination? A parent from Anand

Be encouraging. Let your child know you think he or she will do well on the test. Avoid difficult family issues before the test to prevent unnecessary anxiety. Make sure your child gets plenty of sleep the night before the test. Have him or her wake up early, eat a nutritious breakfast and wear comfortable clothes.

The most important function of education at any level is to hone someone's skills in a way that would not only benefit him, but others as well. Or so said Grayson Kirk, former president of Columbia University. As I sit writing this column, his words come to mind. Just as they might have struck Neeraj K Pawan, collector of Karauli, a small district in Rajasthan, when faced with the task of appointing the sarpanch of Ganwada Meena village. The step had been necessitated by the sudden demise of sarpanch Rampal Meena.