Jun 06, Kathmandu - Parents have complained that they have lost their important details after about 500 mobile phones seized from the Siraha examination hall during the SEE examination held last Chaitra and the Class 12 examination held in Baisakh were destroyed.

Parents have complained that they have not been heard despite repeatedly requesting the Siraha administration and the Education Development and Coordination Unit not to destroy the mobile phones. Instead, they say that they should have created an environment where mobile phones could not be taken into the examination hall. However, they allege that confiscating and destroying mobile phones in this way is irresponsible.

Parent Tarakeshwar Yadav complained that even the photo of the birth certificate stored on the mobile phone was destroyed. Yadav said, ‘After the document was lost, the mobile phone had a photo of my nephew’s birth certificate. There were also many photos taken when I was a child. Everything was lost. I have had to suffer to get the birth certificate.’ Yadav said that the administration ignored his words. Yadav said, ‘I met the principal at Golbazar Secondary School, where the examination center is located. I also went to the district administration. But the administration did not care. They did not take our issue seriously. They said that they could not give us the mobile phone.’ He said that he reached the District Administration Office in Siraha two weeks after the exam.

A student whose mobile phone was confiscated said, ‘I was stressed for a day or two. I did not even feel like eating. I had a lot of relatives’ numbers on my mobile phone at home. I was very worried about whether my parents would say anything. My uncle said not to worry. I will buy a mobile phone, I said to leave this matter now.’

Another parent complained that the mobile phone was confiscated without stealing the cheat. The parent said, ‘When my father came home and told me that I had not stolen the cheat. When I was sitting on the same bench, he took mine too. My father gave me the mobile phone out of fear. In my opinion, if I had made a mistake by stealing, it would be right to confiscate it. However, it was very painful when the mobile phone was destroyed even though I did not make a mistake.’ He complained that the photos and videos on the phone disappeared along with the phone.

Lahan Municipality Mayor Mahesh Prasad Chaudhary said that parents have come to him and complained. He said, "Some parents have come in contact and requested to give them a chance for once. I said, 'We did not take it away, is there a rule to confiscate it or destroy it? It is a matter for the examination committee to decide on this matter.'

Former President of the Teachers' Federation Baburam Thapa has said that although it is natural not to take mobile phones into the examination hall during the examination, destroying the mobile phone itself is a genocidal act.

11,037 students participated in last year's Secondary Education Examination (SEE) from Siraha. According to the Education Development and Coordination Unit, 10,625 students participated in the examination in the general stream and 412 students in the technical stream.

The unit's information officer Pushkar Gairpipli informed that 65.44 percent of the participants were graded in the regular stream.