MHRD sets up panel to help plug leaks in CBSE
THE COMMITTEE WILL REVISIT ALL ASPECTS RELATED TO THE SECURITY CHECKS BUILT INTO THE SYSTEM FOR ENSURING THAT THE PAPERS DO NOT LEAK
NEW DELHI: The human resource development (HRD) ministry has set up a “high-powered committee” to examine in detail the process through which the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducts examinations, following the leak of the Class 10 mathematics and the Class 12 economics papers.
The seven-member panel, headed by former HRD secretary Vinay Sheel Oberoi, will also suggest measures to make the examination process “secure and foolproof through the use of technology” and submit a report by May 31 to the ministry.
According to a senior HRD ministry official, the committee will revisit all aspects related to the security checks built into the system for ensuring that the question papers reach the examinees without tampering.
“The panel will examine and assess all areas of potential weakness in the present system of transporting question papers from the printing presses to the examinees. It will also suggest ways in which the system can be made more secure with the use of technology and minimising human intervention,” said the official.
Other members of the committee include Pavnesh Kumar, former CBSE controller of examination and secretary, Uttar Pradesh Examination Board; JS Rajput, India representative on the executive board of the UNESCO, former NCERT director and NCTE chairman; former vicechancellor, SNDT Women’s University, Vasudha Kamat and former director of education Krishna Mohan Tripathy.
The constitution of the committee had been announced by Anil Swarup, secretary (schools education), HRD ministry, in a tweet on Tuesday.
The Class 10 mathematics and Class 12 economics examinations were held on March 26 and 28, respectively. But after reports of the papers being leaked and distributed on the social media surfaced, the ministry announced that it would conduct a retest for the economics paper on April 25. It also said that if needed, the math exam would be held again sometime in July. However, on Tuesday, it ruled out retest for Class 10 mathematics paper.
Reports of the leak had triggered a massive uproar with the students protesting against the board and the government and the academia raising questions over the government’s ability hold examinations for secondary senior secondary classes.
A special investigation team set up by the Delhi police is probing the leak following a complaint by the CBSE. Two teachers of a private school in Bawana and a tutor from the same area have been arrested in connection with the case.
The police have lodged two separate cases in the matter. The first case, related to the leak of economics paper was lodged on March 27, while a complaint regarding leak of mathematics paper was lodged on March 28, by the CBSES regional director.