Cheating goes ‘mobile’ in exam halls

SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, JUL 26 -
Using chits or bringing unauthorised items into the exam hall is strictly prohibited. But, what if a student uses a mobile phone, the most high-tech method for cheating?

Modern technology has changed the way how students cheat in examinations. It gives them the opportunity to be less liable to be caught. One big help for them is the mobile internet browsing service.

Lalit Sharma (name changed), a Master’s level student appearing for his second year examinations commended the new technique. “It’s trouble-free way, no need to waste you time making a chit or running frequently to the toilet to see the guess papers and guides,” he said. Just click the question topic and see the answer that comes, he said scoffing at the examination guards. . “It is easy to dodge them,” he added.

Google is the best option for students to get the answers. It responds quickly and the information is better and more reliable than what you get from the teachers, Sharma said.

Prof. Bishwomber Pyakurel, an admirer of mobile internet, said, “Thanks to my cell phone, it took me just two minutes to know the topic being discussed,” he said during one of his discussion programmes held recently. Talking to the Post, he stressed knowledge world should be utilised in the right way. “In developed nations, students are given limited space to answer questions during their examination. So, they do not find internet copying effective,” he said.

Ratna Rajya Campus Chief Gopal Chandra Pokhrel said the trend of using internet mobiles for cheating is growing. “We found several instances at the Bachelor’s level, especially in the Science and Commerce streams,” he said. According to him, such users at the Master’s level are rare as they have limited time to answer a lot of questions. He said that the college direct the examinees not to carry mobile phones adding that even so it is not possible to confiscate the phones.

Today, nearly everyone carries mobile phones. The college issue notices urging the students not to carry mobile phones but the students hardly abide by the rules. “We cannot pressurise them or seize their mobile phones even though we know some of them are into this hi-tech cheating,” Pokhrel said.

FY to see 2nd int’l airport birth


SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, JUL 26 -
Construction of the country's second international airport is among the projects the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) has planned for the current fiscal year 2010-11. Eight new projects have been proposed in addition to the projects carried over from the last fiscal.

Implementing leave tourism (paid leave), setting up a new radar at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), expanding tourism areas and implementing the Tourism Satellite Account are among the new projects that will be started this fiscal year.

Similarly, integrated lake conservation project, special Mt. Everest cleaning mission and converting Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) into a company are its other plans. All these projects have been assessed in the last fiscal year and will be accomplished in the current fiscal, MoTCA said Monday while discussing its annual progress report and new programmes at the parliamentary International Relation and Human Rights Committee.

In a bid to boost domestic tourism and the morale of civil servants, MoTCA has proposed the paid leave tourism concept. A task force has identified potential vacation spots in different parts of the country.

MoTCA has also planned to install a new radar system considering the increase in air traffic at the country's only international airport.

"TIA, which was designed to handle 1,300 passengers per hour, sometimes has to process over 2,000 passengers," said MoTCA secretary Kishore Thapa.

MoTCA has proposed expanding tourist areas to Ilam in the east and Baitadi in the west. Kathmandu, Pokhara, Lumbini, Chitwan and Lukla are the only designated tourist spots presently.

The Tourism Satellite Account will calculate separate credible and comprehensive measurements of tourism value from tourism activities and provide concrete data of tourism contribution to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Under the integrated lake conservation project, the ministry will conserve the country's lakes making them a significant product to attract tourists.

The feasibility study for the country's second international airport at Nijgadh will be concluded after seven months. "We are planning to start construction after the study is completed," Thapa said. The contract to do the feasibility study was awarded to LMW, Korea last year. Converting Nepal Airlines Corporation into a company will also be initiated in the current fiscal year.

The ministry is working on the procedures from the last fiscal year. Likewise, MoTCA has proposed opening new peaks for commercial expeditions.

The ministry will also revise the air service agreements (ASAs) signed with European, Middle Eastern and Asia Pacific countries. Nepal currently has ASAs with 35 countries.

Tourism infrastructure development, attracting one million tourists during Nepal Tourism Year 2011 and upgrading the international airport and regional airports are among the projects being carried over from the last fiscal.

The National Planning Commission has a budget ceiling of Rs. 818.7 million (excluding the budget for NTY 2011) for MoTCA for the current fiscal year.