Chaos, delays as CBSE holds first exam after leaks

TEACHERS GET PAPER FROM BANKS LATE; DELAYS AT SEVERAL CENTRES ACROSS THE COUNTRY DUE TO BANDH

NEW DELHI: The first board exam conducted on Monday by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) after reports of paper leaks emerged last week was shrouded in confusion and delays in Delhi, particularly in schools run by the state government.

Teachers at a number of Delhi government schools, mainly in outer city areas functioning as examination centres, said they received the paper from the designated banks late, while a few also said there was no clarity on whether they had to print the encrypted question papers at the centres. Class 10 and 12 students were appearing for elective language papers on Monday.

CBSE officials confirmed they had implemented “an alternative system” on Monday but refused to divulge details, saying they wanted to take “the people, who are leaking the paper, by surprise”.

There were also delays at many centres across the country due to the Bharat Bandh called by Dalit groups over a Supreme Court order barring immediate arrest on complaints filed under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atroci- ties) Act.

“There were three alternative strategies and one of them was used today, because of which exams were conducted smoothly across the country barring a few minor delays, which were caused primarily because of the bandh,” said a CBSE official.

Sources said the CBSE might have printed a fresh set of question papers for Monday’s exams, which could have caused delays.

In certain areas across the country, students were unable to reach their examination centres on time, while at many places the examination did not take place, including at a few schools in Jahanabad, Bihar, the CBSE said.

This prompted the board to issue an advisory across the country to its regional centres, to compile and send reports on any incidents of exam delays or cancellation.