As many as 32,08,451 students registered for high school exam and 25,27,664 registered for Intermediate exams in Uttar Pradesh this year (Representative Image) | Photo Credit: BCCL

Prayagraj: Several instances of students filling answer sheets with the bizarre content matter have come to light over the years, most of these coming to light from the education boards of states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. However, this time around, the students seem to have taken a whole new approach to conceal their lack of preparation.

Teachers with the Board of High School and Intermediate Education Uttar Pradesh (UPMSP) told Times of India that they have been coming across answer sheets where students have attempted to invoke patriotic sentiment to cover for their incompetence. To this effect, several students have reportedly filled their answer sheets with sentences such as, "Respected sir, I want to serve the nation and protect your children and the country from enemies and therefore, urge you to think about your children before giving me marks."

It is not hard to speculate that the timing of a majority of these examinations coincided with days when both Indian and Pakistani security forces were on high alert following the Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. An evaluator who was tasked with checking the answer sheets told the national daily that many students have attempted to play with the teachers' emotions by claiming to be future patriots.

Such instances are not new to the education boards in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar where answer sheets have been found to be filled with poems and movie plots in the past. Students have even, on more than one occasion, stapled currency notes within their answer sheets as a token for evaluators to give them good marks.