“How 2 Copy In Exams”, beckoned a poster in big, bold letters, inviting every student eager for a shortcut to crack any examination.
Shared as a WhatsApp forward, it caught everyone's attention as the offer looked irresistible: For a low Rs 149, sit in a 90-minute Sunday session in Basavanagudi here and walk back as a professional copycat.
But not all were impressed. Shocked by the poster's audacity, a city-based educationist called up the listed number. Posing as a parent, he sought more information to register his neighbour's daughter only to be told that the response was so huge that all seats were overbooked.
Registrations had closed for the month, but the girl could be accommodated in the next session in February, he was assured.
The poster was smartly drafted to inject a sense of urgency. Scheduled for January 13, 10 am to 1.30 pm, the registered students were asked to report at 9.30 am 'strictly'. Doors would close at 9.55 am. Early birds had an offer: Buy three slots of Rs 149 and get one slot absolutely free. This limited offer was only for the first 33 participants.
But by Monday, there was a twist in the copy tale. Posing as another parent, this correspondent called up the number. “Sorry, I could not do the Sunday session. But I will let you know about my next session, leave your name and number,” said the man, identifying himself as Puneeth.
Then came a frank admission. “The police had called me, asking me not to post such controversial stuff. They told me it was illegal,” he said. “But if I had titled the advertisement as 'How to study well', nobody would have responded. When people see something negative, they tend to be alert. I have been getting many calls.”
So, what exactly did he mean by copying? The context had completely changed from Saturday to Monday. Puneeth explained, “My intention was to motivate students, many of whom are so stressed that they even think of suicide. We need to 'copy' from the greats like Swami Vivekananda and Abdul Kalam.”
The rush to enroll for the 'Copy' course, had educationist, A Senthil Kumaran from the Learners Confluence seething: “This shortcut is purely unethical. It shows how much pressure parents are putting on their children to somehow get a good rank in CET, NEET and other exams. It shows the failure of our education system.”