Subject: shorthand and typing

FOR months, Dhiren had been banging away on the typewriter that Masterin had given him. It was an old, broken-down portable thing that jumped on its own between letters and words. Still, he was happy, for most of his classmates had never laid a hand on a typewriter in spite of having completed a one year typing course at the local college. The course was part of the vocational training course that all higher secondary students have to complete.

The college actually possessed an old typewriter, but allowed none of the students to touch it. Instead, they were told to make a card copy of the keyboard, and practise on it. As the examination date came nearer, a few of Dhiren's friends came and banged away on the typewriter too.

On the appointed day the whole class were transported to the examination venue. Jeeps were hired for the purpose, for it was more than 50 km away, on the other side of the district. Each student had to pay Rs. 50 for the two hour journey. The drivers dumped all the young hopefuls at 10 o'clock, and went off to booze contentedly for the day, as all drivers do.

Dhiren and his mates were ushered into the exam room, after all the formalities of the system had been satisfactorily completed. The formalities were indeed substantial, for this was the higher secondary final examination after all, and fraudulent practices need to be prevented. Admit cards, photographs and other documents of the students were meticulously scrutinised by the examiners.

Finally, the students were all given their question papers: Subject: shorthand and typing. The examiner asked them all to take dictation in shorthand, and began to recite a few words. The students all began to write in earnest - in longhand.

"What are you all doing?" the master shouted, "You're supposed to be writing in shorthand!"

"Sir, what is 'shorthand'?" asked one youngster.

Most of the others knew the meaning of the word, at least, though none of them knew how to write in shorthand. They laughed at the boy's ignorance.

"Haven't any of you brought your books?" the examiner asked, "Then you could have copied it."

None of them had brought their books, for, barring Dhiren, none of them possessed a copy of it. And he, in his ignorance, thought that books were not allowed into the examination. The examiner did not know shorthand either, and was in no position to help.

"Never mind then. We'll cancel the shorthand part of the exam," the examiner announced. Another batch of students from another college, who took the exam later on in the day, had all arrived well-equipped with books and notes, and sailed through the shorthand exam.

Then came the typing exam. The students looked around for a typewriter, but there was not a single one in sight. The examiner proclaimed unabashedly, "Now is it possible to provide typewriters to so many students?" It was most obvious to everyone that it was indeed not possible, and the students all agreed. "So just copy the paragraph in your best handwriting, that will be good enough."

Dhiren, and one or two boys who had actually learnt to type, were none-too-happy. Although it was not necessary to pass the exam to secure the higher secondary certificate, good marks in the vocational course would help their overall grades.

Anticipating anxiety, the examiner assured the students, "Don't worry about it all. We'll manage everything. That's what we're here for." Indeed they seemed to have managed the whole thing to everyone's advantage. The students had all paid Rs. 20 to the college's "bara babu", for which reasonable marks in the exam would be given. So they al happily scribbled away with their pens, what they were supposed to type.

Next on the question paper were written the strange words, "Viva Voce". No one seemed to know what that might mean. Dhiren venture to ask the examiner, who irritably replied, "Never you mind! Just shut up and keep quiet!" Appropriately concluding the oral examination, the exam was finally over. The answer papers were meticulously collected, roll numbers checked again, for the examiners have been taught to be vigilant against imposters and cheats.

Thus satisfied, the students were allowed outside. The drivers, anticipating a day long examination, had embarked upon a day-long drinking bout, and turned up woozily and wobbly, three hours later. The jeeps all reached home by early evening, crammed full of dirty, hungry, tired, but well-educated boys. For they were all well on their way to passing their higher secondary examinations.

LINDSAY BARNES

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