UP Board paper ‘leaked’ on messaging app
Pictures of High School English paper allegedly circulated an hour before exam
ALLAHABAD/BAREILLY: Pictures of the English question paper of UP Board High School exam were allegedly circulated on WhatsApp almost an hour before the examination started in Azamgarh, Ballia and Bareilly on Monday. The examination was scheduled to start at 7.30am. The circulation of the question paper pictures started on WhatsApp from 6.30 am. However, the exam was not cancelled.
The UP Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UP Board) has also been informed about the leak. UP Board secretary Shail Yadav did not confirm the reports but directed the district inspectors of school (DIOS) of all the three districts to investigate the issue and submit a report in this regard at the earliest.
Bareilly district inspector of schools (DIOS) Munne Ali has lodged a police complaint on the advice of the district magistrate.
“As per our information, the pictures of the question paper were first circulated on WhatsApp from Bhamora area of Bareilly. We are still not clear about the source,” said Bareilly district magistrate Surendra Singh.
Reportedly, five pictures of the question paper were posted on WhatsApp and they appeared to be xerox copies of the original question paper of series 817(AL). The series is marked on the bottom left side of every page. “Complaints of some discrepancies in storage of question paper at an exam centre in Bhamora were received in the morning. We suspect that the question paper was leaked from the same centre,” said the Bareilly DIOS.
Though the officials came to know about the leak before the exam, it was too late to postpone or cancel it.
“We were not sure that the same paper was leaked so we decided to go ahead with the examination,” said the DIOS.
Their doubts were cleared when the same paper was distributed to the students who appeared for the exam.
“The question paper and the pictures which were leaked on the WhatsApp are same,” confirmed the Bareilly DIOS.
Following the complaint of the DIOS, a police team headed by circle officer(CO) is investigating the matter. The surveillance team of Bareilly police has also been directed by officials to help in the investigation.
Board officials in Allahabad remained tightlipped over the issue all through the day.
In another development, 135 high school examinees —92 boys and 43 girls — were caught using unfair means in the state.
In Allahabad, 12 invigilators were found to be in possession of smart phones inside examination hall. A flying squad led by DIOS Komal Yadav confiscated the smartphones.
Orders for lodging an FIR against one invigilator was also issued by the DIOS as the teacher was found talking on the phone during examination period. The teacher has been relieved of examination duty.