The day also important for me personally, as my wife was taking the exam. Her test centre was in St. Joseph's Boys High School, Bangalore. We reached there about half an hour before the scheduled start to find the entrance to the test centre teeming with aspirants. It made me feel nostalgic and transported me to the time when I had been one of them! I could sense the mix of emotions running through them - a bit of nervousness, a bit of apprehension and a lot of hope.
The exam started at the scheduled time. But it was not without its share of incidents. Four aspirants were not allowed to enter the centre as they arrived after the main gates had closed at 10 AM. Though the exam start time was 10.30, the last time for entering the exam hall was 10AM. Expectedly, the 4 boys were distraught, and no amount of pleading could soften the hearts of the exam coordinators. Which was something I liked!
Now, get me right here! I feel sorry for the boys who will be wasting one year of effort, but there needs to be a premium placed on discipline. When it has been specifically mentioned on the exam Admit Card that the reporting time is 9:45 AM and that no one would be allowed after 10 AM, then they should have shown a bit more of discipline, considering that CAT is such an important event in their lives. Actually, the casualness with which some young people approach everything in their lives- and most times get away with it - is something that makes me sad and angry. In such a situation, the events of the last day brought with it some refreshing hope. And I hope that the affected boys, after getting over their understandable frustations, would see the point and realize that things in life are not always so easy or frivolous!
