While there are huge protests going on over the CBSE paper leak issue over the past few days, there were several other instances of paper leaks this year that failed to gain national attention. Many state board examination papers were allegedly leaked prior or during the respective examinations.
In West Bengal, the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) came under wide criticism after cases of paper leaks were reported in the Madhyamik (10th) examination which took place recently. In one instance in Jalpaiguri, a school headmaster Haridayal Roy reportedly leaked the question paper to the school topper hours before the examination. The Life Science question papers were allegedly circulated on WhatsApp but the WBBSE had claimed that the leaked papers were from last year’s model papers. The ordered probes are yet to report any significant results.
During the Higher Secondary examinations, Bangla and English, papers were allegedly found doing rounds on social media. The state government had initially denied the paper leaks. The WBCHSE had initiated probes for the cases but any significant progress is yet to happen. The board has not yet submitted the probe report either.
Karnataka SSLC exams this year witnessed several glitches, mix-ups and alleged leaks too. On day 1, in Shirol, Vijayapura district, the question papers of the Kannada exam were reportedly circulation in social media merely an hour after the paper packets arrived at the Vivekananda High Scool. Last year too, the SSLC English question papers were leaked on social media much before the exam. The worse case, however, had to be the PU exams. The PU exams papers have been leaked many times so far. In 2017 it was the accountancy paper, while in 2016, the II PU Chemistry exams had to be conducted and cancelled twice. 40 officials of the examination section of the Pre University Department were suspended and a CID probe was initiated after widespread protests.
In Odisha too, question paper leaks have been a constant problem plaguing the students. This year the Mathematics question paper of the matriculation exams went viral in the social media less within less than an hour of the starting of the exam. It was after two previous question papers, for Odia and English were allegedly found doing rounds in the social media. While the state Education Minister has explicitly denied any leaks, several reports came on question papers being available on social media while the exams were still underway.
