How Gulf schools averted re- exams
Two teachers, head of coaching centre held in New Delhi, CBSE official suspended
Schools in the UAE and Gulf countries following the curriculum of the India’s CBSE, whose exam papers were leaked, lobbied hard to prevent a retake of the tests, Gulf News can reveal.
The scandal led to the arrests of two teachers and the head of a coaching centre in the Indian capital New Delhi yesterday, media reports said. Also yesterday, the CBSE ( Central Board of Secondary Education), suspended its official who was in charge at the examination centre from where a paper was leaked, the reports said.
Following the leak, the CBSE had initially said all students would have to reappear for the exams, but later announced students outside India would not have to retake the exams.
According to Dr Ashok Kumar, CEO of Indian High School ( IHS) in Dubai, the decision follows intense lobbying by schools in the UAE and the Gulf of the CBSE. Dr Kumar outlined how he coordinated a massive campaign to convince authorities in India to exempt students in the UAE and Gulf from retaking the exams.
Indian schools in the UAE and Gulf countries lobbied hard to prevent a retake of two CBSE exams after the papers were leaked in India, Gulf News can reveal.
Last week, India’s CBSE ( Central Board of Secondary Education) had said all students would have to reappear for the Class 10 maths and Class 12 economics exam after it emerged that exam papers had been leaked on WhatsApp.
On Friday, the CBSE said students outside India would not have to retake the exams. According to an educationist in Dubai, the decision follows intense lobbying by schools in the UAE and the Gulf to the CBSE.
In an interview with Gulf News on Saturday, Dr Ashok Kumar, CEO of Indian High School ( IHS) in Dubai, outlined how he coordinated a massive campaign to convince authorities in India to exempt students in the UAE and Gulf countries from retaking the exams.
Dr Kumar is the superintendent of the CBSE exam centre at IHS and a coordinator of seven “hubs” in the Gulf that, in turn, coordinate with other exam centres in the region. There are 20 CBSE exam centres in the UAE alone, he said.
Dr Kumar said the efforts centred around assuring officials in India that there was no need for an exam retake in the UAE and the Gulf as papers here had not been compromised.
With no time to spare, scores of school representatives signed, scanned and emailed “certificates” showing all the CBSE question papers received were fully accounted for, he added. Dr Kumar led WhatsApp groups coordinating the efforts between schools here and aboard, and relaying their assurances to officials in India.
He also pointed out that the custody and handling of the exam papers had taken place under CCTV, which also ensured the papers had not been leaked in the UAE.
Had it not been for close
When news of the leak in India broke, students and parents were naturally stressed. Besides the concern that students would have to retake the exams, there were other considerations,”
Dr Ashok Kumar | CEO of Indian High School
coordination and lobbying, thousands of students in the UAE and the Gulf might have had to “needlessly” retake the exams, he said. In the UAE, around nearly 8,400 students appeared for the Class 10 exam and some 2,700 students appeared for Class 12 paper. The last of the subject papers will be held by midApril.
Worldwide, including in India, 2.7 million students are taking the high- school exams this year.
Students were stressed
“When news of the leak in India broke, students and parents were naturally stressed. Besides the concern that students would have to retake the exams, there were other considerations,” Dr Kumar said.
He explained that, for instance, many parents typically cancel the UAE residence visas of their children as they prepare to move to India where they will be taking university entrance exams after the CBSE. Retaking the CBSE exams could have meant retaking their college admission exams too.
There had also been the question of refresher or revision classes at schools ahead of the exam retakes.
Two teachers of a private Delhi school and a tutor at a private institute were arrested yesterday over the CBSE Class 12 economics question paper leak even as one CBSE official found “lax” in the performance of duty was suspended from service.
Two accused Rishabh, 29, and Rohit, 26, taught mathematics and physics respectively at Mother Khazani Convent School at Bawana. The third accused is Tauqeer.
Human Resource Development Ministry Secretary Anil Swarup announced the suspension of Central Board of Secondary Education ( CBSE) official K. S. Rana and the institution of a formal inquiry against him.
‘ Swift action’
“On HRD Minister Prakash Javdekar’s direction for swift action against culprits, the CBSE has suspended K. S. Rana, who was found lax in supervising examination centre 0859 with immediate effect. A formal inquiry has been instituted,” Swarup said in a series of tweets.
“Consequent to the arrest of two teachers of Mother Khajani Convent School, Mungeshpur, Delhi, and coaching institute head Tauquir by Delhi Police, for colluding to leak the Class 12 economics paper and a probe carried out by the CBSE, a board personnel K. S. Rana was found lax in supervision,” he wrote.
Special Commissioner ( Crime) R. P. Upadhyay told reporters here that the three accused arrested yesterday morning had been sent in two- day police remand by a city court.
“Though question papers were supposed to be opened 15 minutes before the start of exams at 10am, the Class 12 economics paper was opened around half an hour or 40 minutes before the commencement time.
“Its contents were shared on WhatsApp with a few students who later passed it on to others,” he said.
“The question paper was then forwarded to 26- year- old Tauqeer, a tutor at a coaching centre in Bawana, by his friend Rohit following instructions from Rishabh,” Upadhyay said.
“As many as 915 students accessed the picture of the question paper received by various groups on WhatsApp,” the police officer said.
The CBSE has said that the Grade 12 economics paper exam would now be held again on April 25.
The Crime Branch has questioned over 60 people in connection with the CBSE leak case, including the administrators of over 10 WhatsApp groups on which the leaked question papers were shared.
Two accused - Rishabh, 29, and Rohit, 26, taught mathematics and physics respectively, at Mother Khazani Convent School at Bawana.