Phew! I’m back home after one of my worst semesters so far. [there have been only 4 upto now!! :P] {Also, not one of the better ones grades-wise, but otherwise?? anyways.. forget it.. } From today on, the lives of 2,27,483 young boys and girls [with the exception of a few thousands] (in that part of the World called Andhra Pradesh) will never be the same again. The so called verdict on their lives (yes, the verdict of their lives!!) has been pronounced at 11:45am today. EAMCET-07 [Engineering, Agriculture and Medicine Common Entrance Test] results announced. This is no more a matter of anxious students checking out, how they fared in comparison to others of their age. It’s no more a matter of getting into Under-grad to come out a Grad in a chosen discipline.

“The Hottest Topic” in town. Nobody’s left out of it. Young or Old, Rich or Poor, Stout or Slim, Tall or Short, Theist or Atheist, Engineers or Doctors, Black or White. “Black or White”?? How could I and those around me be left out?

Here’s a little from what i see… [Is a little exaggeration allowed?]

• An ad on the FM… “ee karyakramanni samarpinchindi… engineering vijethala mata.. bata.. Sri chaitanya..” [This programme is brought to you by… Sri Chaitanya.. the voice and choice of Engineering Winners!!]
• Another ad. Neti EAMCET phalitalalo kooda atyuttamaina vijayala tho… Narayana.. [With the most wonderful victories even in this time’s EAMCET, Narayana] {Sri Chaitanya and Narayana are two very popular Junior Colleges here.. with hazaar franchises.. all over the State}
• A : How did your neighbor’s cousin’s friend’s daughter’s friend do? [ob exaggerated] B : She didn’t do quite well. It seems she didn’t study the I yr syllabus properly!! {How did he ever get to know that?!!?!?}
• Me : Where’s A? Why’s he so late? J.H : His sister’s Medicine results are out. She scored 700! A local rank of 10! She’ll get into any place she chooses. Me : That’s cool. So that guys gone for a party or what? J.H : No he’s consoling his sister! She’s weeping for she expect to score a rank close to 300! Me : Oh c’mon!!

Why the hell is the whole state dragged into this? Can’t the guys n gals be left alone? Why is that a little thing as a test that allocates various grad seats to the students, blown out of proportion? Do we need big Corporate giants fighting for the ranks and cash of aspiring students? Why all the hue and cry??

Isn’t is possible for these people to have a normal life, where these CET’s are just a part of their lives and not their LIVES themselves? Can’t they be doing other things along with preparing to get into a good grad school? Do we wish to have Engineers and Doctors who, all through the best couple of years of their lives, were busy grinding, swallowing and puking out heaps and heaps of books just to get one seat in a Grad School?

Will things ever be normal again? When will kids “here” start being kids? When will the parents and teachers and all the zillion others understand that their kids need to be given everything in life, exposed to everything. Not just dumping in gallons of formulae and tons of equations. Will people ever give CETs just that much attention as it deserves, and not make it a big issue all over the state? When will the EAMCET stop being the lives of college students and start being just a part of their lives??

[I have tried my best to portray the situation, in this part of the World. But it is quite possible that I didn’t do it well enough….]

Every time you wake up and ask yourself, What good things am I going to do today? Remember that when the sun goes down at sunset it will take a part of your life with it – Douglas Adams

Adapt yourself to the things among which your lot has been cast and love sincerely the fellow creatures with whom destiny has ordained that you shall live. – Richard Bach