On account of the Covid-19 pandemic, Bihar Board turned conventional wisdom on its head, even as it relied on video calls through WhatsApp to conduct the interview of state toppers before declaring examination results of Intermediate on Tuesday evening.
For past couple of years, the BSEB toppers are called at the board’s office for an interview. However, this year, it could not be possible due to lockdown imposed in state even before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to nation on at 8 pm on Tuesday night.
Two joint toppers in commerce stream Sudhanshu Narayan Choudhary and Kausar Fatma said they received a call from Bihar Board on Tuesday afternoon. The caller told them to get ready for a short interview session through video calling on WhatsApp as they had performed well at 12th examination.
When Sudhanshu told the concerned official that he didn’t have touch screen mobile, he was advised to provide someone’s mobile number from the neighbourhood for the interview. At the appointed time Sudhanshu received a call from Bihar board office with deputy examination controller Vijay Mishra at the other end.
Mishra briefed him about the process and handed over the phone to a panel of expert, who asked a couple of questions related to subject. ‘I gave answers to all the questions. Thereafter, they asked me to jot down a paragraph each both in Hindi and English on anything besides writing personal details in front of camera during video calling and put our signature on it. We did that.
Recounting similar experience, Kausar Fatma said after the brief interview session, she was asked to sent the image of paper through WhatsApp message. On Wednesday, Kausar got another call from Bihar Board that chief minister will facilitate the toppers at Patna on December 3.
