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Most students tend to take attendance casually and feel quite comfortable in bunking classes. The practice is becoming increasingly common and more and more often you see students roaming around outside college rather than being in it. Most of these students are relaxed because they know that even if they have an attendance shortage at the end of the year, they can pay the fine and get their hall ticket to appear for the board exams.

Follow up:

The Pre-university rule book says otherwise. According to the rule book, if a student has even 0.1% attendance less than 75% then he/she will not be allowed to sit for the final exams. The rule book also says that principals can not penalize the students who have attendance shortage however it is a practice that is very common. Right now students pay from anywhere between Rs150 to Rs 3000 to get the shortage of attendance cleared. 

Even though most principals deny indulging in this practice, students admit that they don't bother much about the attendance because they know they can pay the fine and still get their hall ticket. Many colleges principals even claimed to have started special classes just to give students an opportunity to make up for the loss of attendance.

A time of India report stated that some students had declined to pay the fine, citing the rule that fines are not allowed, other, stating that it was a matter of their career, decided to pay the fine and get the hall ticket anyway. However, to put the matter to rest, the PU Commissioner clearly stated that:

 

No fine will be accept from students who have less than 75% attendance

If a student does not have the required 75% attendance the he/she will not be permitted to appear for the final exam.

Any college found taking a fine from students for attendance shortage will be held accountable and strict action may be taken against it.

 

All in all the move is too little too late. With less than 10 days left for the exams it would be incorrect on the part of the PU Board to deny students from writing the exams, especially since the hall tickets have already been issued. A viable solution to the bunking problem would be strict implementation of this rule from the coming academic year (2010-11).