Hubballi, DHNS: It was an unusual scene at GE PU College, the only centre for the ongoing PU examination in Kalghatagi taluk in Dharwad district, on Saturday.

Around 10 am, ahead of the scheduled start of the annual Pre-University Course (PUC) examination, as many as 28 officials were eagerly waiting for just one candidate to turn up for the optional Education subject. Nagappa Lamani was the only student registered to take the Education exam, while there were no candidates registered at this centre for two other optional subjects scheduled for the day — Logic and Basic Mathematics.

Nagappa Lamani, according to sources in the PU department, is, in fact, a student of GE PU college.

The exam officials waited for long, but there was no sight of Lamani. Rules permit a candidate to walk in to the exam hall up to half an hour late. However, Lamani did not turn up even within this grace period. But, 18 of the officials had to remain at the centre till the exam hours were over at 1.30 pm. They were the static staff deployed at the GE PU College.

For quite a while, even the other officials — the tahsildar, a block education officer, a medical officer, two vigilance squad members, five mobile squad staff and a constable — waited for the candidate. Usually, the tahsildar, vigilance squad members and the BEO pay surprise visit to the exam centre whereas the static staff, medical officer and security staff stay at the centre till the day’s exams are over.

Ganesh Pujar, deputy director of the state Board of the Pre-University Education, told DH that an exam centre with a single registered candidate appearing for the exam was very rare.

As arrangements were made in view of the question paper leak last year, many officials had to spend time in GE PU College centre for the entire duration of the exam, though nobody appeared for the exam.