Mangaluru: Holi, the festival of colours, is celebrated today across the country. An examination centre in Montepadavu wants to make SSLC examinations feel like a festival for students writing their final examinations, which commences from Thursday.Around 300 students, appearing for Kannada and Sanskrit papers, will be accorded a grand welcome with musical bands, flowers and refreshments at the venue. During one of his Mann Ki Baat sessions in 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged students to celebrate examinations like festivals to reduce stress.This is thanks to efforts of the School Development Management Committee (SDMC), Alumni Association and teachers of Government High School , Montepadavu, who want the stressed students to experience the examination as a festival, and not burden them. SDMC president Muralidhar Morla and Alumni Association president Haneef have been helping with the arrangements.Santosh Kumar P M, the headmaster of the school, explaining the reason behind this unique initiative at examination centres, said that students who prepare themselves from several months for examinations come with fear and ambiguity to exam centres. “They face pressure from parents, peers and teachers to do well in all papers as it is a crucial examination to decide their future. So we, including SDMC and Alumni Association, decided to turn this event into a festival and make the students feel happy and smile before they enter the examination halls, which they consider to be war rooms,” he added.According to their plan, the school has printed an invitation, put up banners and decorated the campus. Santosh said after students are dropped by their parents to the centre, they will be welcomed by junior students with roses. They will then be welcomed by bands, after which refreshments will be served to all those who are taking the exam.“Once they finish eating the refreshments, when it’s time to enter the examination hall, they will be blessed by priests belonging to three major religions,” he said. Santosh said religious heads have agreed to come to the examination centre. The students will also be given some writing materials at the venue.Around 15 students have been roped in as volunteers, who will guide the candidates taking the examination to their respective halls.

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