Unable to get admit card, Class 12 student of Pratapgarh hangs self

A Class 12 student of Sadhuri Shiromani Inter College, Dhansara, Jetwara, in neighbouring Pratapgarh district, committed suicide on Sunday night by hanging himself from a tree near his house after allegedly failing to secure the admit card for his Class 12 Board exam, for non-payment of fee.

The 18-year-old, upset over not being able to appear in the exam despite having laboured hard all through the year, took the extreme step in dejection.

Hailing from an economically weak background with the deceased’s father Rajendra Singh, selling milk in the village, the boy was the eldest of two siblings.

Rajendra Singh in a written complaint to SHO of Jethwara police station said that for the last four days, his son was being denied his examination admit card by manager and principal. He stated that on February 23 too his son had gone to school to get his admit card but once again faced the same treatment after which he came back home and took the extreme step at around 8pm.

According to records, the boy was studying in a private (non-aided) UP Board school whose monthly fee for Class 12 is ₹600. The pending fee of ₹5600, included six months of tuition fee, besides ₹200 examination fee.

Taking cognizance of the incident, on the instructions of UP Board Secretary Bhagwati Singh, district inspector of schools (DIoS), Pratapgarh, Omkar Rana, after investigating the case, held the school’s manager Rishabh Tripathi and principal Krishnamurthy Tripathi guilty of not giving admit card, and on Monday, an FIR had been lodged against both of them in Jetwara police station.

According to the report of the two-member investigation committee constituted by DIoS, school’s principal Krishnamurthy Tripathi and class teacher Sunil Yadav stated that the boy, who arrived in school on Sunday to get the admit card, was apprised about the pending fees, to which he had said that he would bring the fees next time and take the admit card.

Also, the DIOS has taken away the responsibility of centre superintendent from school principal Krishnamurthy Tripathi and appointed the headmaster of Government Higher Secondary School Sheetalpatti, Pratapgarh, Umesh Kumar, as the centre superintendent in his place. In the report sent to the Board secretary, the Pratapgarh DIOS Omkar Rana has strongly recommended withdrawing recognition to the school.

Investigation team found six more admit cards

DIoS-Pratapgarh Omkar Rana had formed a two-member team of Principal of Government Inter College, Pratapgarh Kulshrestha Tiwari and Principal of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Government Secondary Inter College Mahuli Aspur Devsara Rahul Singh to investigate the incident.

The two-member team during the probe found six more admit cards of students on Monday despite commencement of the exam. On being asked about the admit cards which had still not been distributed despite commencement of exam, Principal Krishnamurthy Tripathi stated admit cards were of girl students studying in the school and that they would collect the same before the examination commenced.

Board secy says

UP Board secretary Bhagwati Singh has appealed to all students to not get unduly stressed in case they had not received their admit cards or were not able to appear in the exam for other reasons. “Students facing such issues should contact the Board on its helpline numbers 1800-180-5310 and 1800-180-5312,” he added.