BANGALORE: Students and parents thronged the Pre-University Board premises here as the news about the postponement of the announcement of results of the second year pre-university examination spread on Wednesday evening. With no new date announced, they were a worried lot. For several students, the wait for the results seemed endless. They had a big reason. It was initially announced that the results would be out on Monday. But on Sunday, the date was postponed to Wednesday, only to be delayed again.

Rumours reigned supreme everywhere with students calling and sending messages through their cell phones. Parents sat through it all, helpless and tense. With the board announcing that the results would be available online at 5 p.m., students such as Vineet from Krupanidhi College had been waiting with friends in Internet centres.

For Faria, a student of Jyothi Nivas College, the wait was painful. She had a carry-over subject from the previous semester, and was anxious to know her results. Vidyut of Kaveri College was angry as he had been at the receiving end of such delays even in the past.

With the confusion over admission to engineering, medical and dental colleges still rankling, they thought that the PU results would at least give them some solace. But the recent transfer of the board director, and the apparent lack of planning had big worries in store for all stakeholders.

Gonal Bheemappa, who is still in charge of the board, had been busy with election duty in West Bengal. He was even made the nodal officer for the recruitment rally of the Indian Air Force.

On Sunday, Mr. Bheemappa told The Hindu that the heavy workload on the board this year, with internal assessment for new subjects and different patterns of examination, caused the delay. On Wednesday, software error was the reason quoted. He, however, promised that a new date for the results would be announced on Thursday.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu