The Art of Proxy

Common bunking, birdwatching, gossiping comments besides all these proxies form an inevitable part of college memories of a student. Proxies are no less than oxygen to the students asphyxiating in between the boring lectures. Apart from these, the amount of daring heart it takes and the excitement it begets (if successfully delivered) is uncomparable. An experienced eye can easily recognise it as a form of art which has gracefully continued through generations. Even our so called strict professors would have done that at their age. Apart from being a brave heart, successful proxy requires a high level of alertness. A slight incautiousness can shift your position outside the class. The risk (of being caught) get drastically reduced o n c e y o u c o n u a l yourself in the shadow of guy in the front. Closing mouth with palm while performing the act is equally beneficial. Stand and deliver has never been the dictum unless compelled by the professor. Some highly professional ones take special care to alter their voices after each consecutive proxy. Just changing the tone from “Yes Sir” to “Present Sir” is enough to mislead the experienced ears most of the time. A single dedicated individual is enough to make multiple proxies once he gets on the podium to take attendance. Some even return with 100% attendance to their credit. While making proxy, your credit is also at stake. An outstanding guy (at least in the eye of professor) can easily end standing out within a matter of minutes. The moment, two individuals stand for a single roll call, the condition becomes disastrous. The professional ones have still the way out. You just have to utter some time tested magical words at appropriate juncture. One can try “I thought you told thirty one and not twenty one or “I heard... it as 40 not 14”. But the less fortunate ones are still shown the door. One of the rarest case is when a girl get caught for proxy.Actually there persists some form of gender bias in the favour of girls. Root cause being the misconception in professors mind that they are too innocent for such (courageous) act. Whereas each and every boy’s call is scrutinized wi th unforeseen suspision, girls carry on the expertise (proxy) unnoticed.

Our professor s also differ strikingly in their approach towards proxy. Many just have natural tendency to neglect them and become active only when they hear two voices for a single roll call. In the other hemispheres are those innovative ones who develop irresistible urge to remember almost each student by name & roll no. Another sophisticated weapon routinely used is and is really lethal to this form of incredible art is positive attendance. One can easily hear the gasp of despair when someone earlier known for regular attendance suddenly starts torely on positive one. Another risky venture for the daring ones are the periods of HOD’s (spl. micro). A general notion prevails th at once you get caught by an HOD, you can get rewarded by a heavy discount on your internal assessment marks.

Proxies are arranged (who will hit whose) just five minutes before attendance. Successful delivery of proxy of at least 10 students within such short span of time is an excellent example of human resource management. Alas! proxies or perpetual hide and seek game between professor and students in which the latter are usual winners (courtesy our professors).



– Abhishek Pandit

2007 Batch,RIMS,Ranchi