UP Boards: Kidnapper, murder-accused take exams behind bars, score 70%+
What's the story
Lokesh, a convict in a case involving kidnapping and forcing a woman to marry in Saharanpur, received 72% marks in Class 12 Uttar Pradesh Board examinations, as per a senior jail official. He finished first among the jail candidates who took the intermediate exam. Similarly, Arjun Singh, a murder suspect locked in a Ghaziabad jail, scored 76% in his Class 10 board examinations.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Results for the Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP) exams for Classes 10 and 12 were declared on Saturday. The examinations were from between March 24 and April 13. Employing imprisonment as a means of reformation and social rehabilitation, over 200 UP inmates not only took the exam but also passed with flying colors.
Profile
All about Saharanpur prisoner Lokesh who scored 72% marks
Lokesh was accused in May 2018 of abducting his own relative's minor daughter and transporting her by bus to Haryana's Karnal district. Later, an FIR was filed against him for kidnapping, forcing the minor to marry, and unlawful confinement. On September 30, 2021, he was convicted and given a 10-year sentence. Since being incarcerated, Lokesh had always desired to study and reform himself.
Information
'Lokesh deeply interested in English, History'
"He was deeply interested in English and History, for which we also made all books available in the jail itself," said a prison official while talking about Lokesh. Prison officials reported that inmates from 14 UP districts took the UP Board exams this year.
Profile
All about prisoner Singh from Ghaziabad
Similarly, Singh, a murder accused, who is currently being held in a Ghaziabad jail, performed remarkably well in Mathematics and Science while receiving an overall percentage of 76% in his Class 10 examinations. A senior prison official stated that Singh's case is still under investigation due to which further information or comments cannot be provided, but added that Singh wished to continue his studies.
Fact
90% inmates passed Class 12, 70% passed Class 10 exam
According to the results released on Saturday, inmates from various prisons in UP received a 90% success rate in high school and 70% in the intermediate UP Board examinations this year. The Class 12 exam was passed by 67 of the 99 inmates who appeared for it, while the high school exam was cleared by 104 of the 119 prisoners who took it.
Statement
We have libraries in almost all jails: Police official
Anand Kumar, Director General of UP Prisons, said that the state's prisons have radically transformed. "We've libraries and facilities of studies in almost all the jails. If an inmate needs help or assistance in studies, or even pursuing his hobby, then jail staff provides full assistance," he stated. We encourage inmates who are keen to study or pursue any of their hobbies," he added.