Kiran Choudhry, leader of the Haryana Congress Legislature Party, has flayed the Haryana School Education Board (HSEB) decision not to make any centre for the HTET examination in six districts, Bhiwani, Rohtak, Jind, Mahendragarh, Mewat and Jhajjar, on the plea that cheating took place at centres in these districts for Class X, XII board exams.In a statement issued here today, the former Excise and Taxation Minister said the decision militates against the “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” campaign launched by the Monhar Lal Khattar Government as it would force girls from these districts wanting to appear in the exam travel more than 100 kms. If a girl examinee from Bhiwani has her centre in Kaithal she would have to travel more than 120 kms. Female candidates will be the worst affected as they account for 65 per cent of the candidates, she said.
The argument advanced by the board that “these are sensitive centres” is fallacious and specious. When centres for Class X and Class XII board exams can be made in these districts along with NET and CTET, why not for the HTET examination, she asked. “One passes one’s comprehension is that how Bhiwani, the headquarters of the HSEB, has no centre for the HTET exam. Perhaps, the board does not trust its own officers,” Mrs Chaudhry said. More than 4 lakh candidates have applied for the HTET exam across the state and more than 80,000 candidates are from these six districts, she added.