These are no isolated questions but queries from students across the state that counsellors have been dealing with at the helpline started by the UT Education department.

In its second year now, the helpline started this year in the first week of February has received an extremely good response from students. “I am receiving five to six calls every day and keeping in view that the helpline came into operation only a week ago, the feedback is good. Most of my callers are students whose queries are primarily about the syllabus. Students are confused about what topics to study as there has been a slight change in the curriculum,” said Nirmal Singh, counsellor for Economics.

Mini Bhasin, counsellor for Accounts and Business Studies, agrees with Nirmal.

“Students are concerned about which topics to study. They are also uncertain about the weightage of marks for different topics as well as the kind of questions that will from the part of the paper,” he says.

That stress related to exams transcends all boundaries is clear from the fact that the counsellors are receiving calls from neighbouring states, including Punjab and Haryana.

“While students based in the city have been calling, there have been queries from students based in states other than Punjab as well. Confusion and anxiety pertaining to examinations is a universal phenomenon and we are trying our level best to help them cope with it,” said a mathematics counsellor.

Talking about the feedback the helpline has received, Samwaratk Singh, Director Public Instructions, maintained that the venture is aimed at minimising stress among students.