Around 5 lakh Class 12 students take Eco paper retest amid leak rumours
NEWDELHI: Around five lakh Class 12 students of the Central Board of Secondary Education wrote their economics paper again on Wednesday as the earlier examination held on March 26, was leaked.
Students had earlier complained of having to retake an exam and rumours of a possible leak had left many on the edge. But others were relieved after Wednesday’s paper, which they claimed was easier than the original.
By Tuesday late night, students’ Whatsapp groups were abuzz with rumours of “leaked papers” being made available to the students.
“I had received around three or four sets of papers, and I got a little worried. If it got leaked again, then it would mean that we may have another retest,” said Naman Geet Parashar, a student at Green Field Public School.
However, when students got their papers on Wednesday, it all seemed to be for naught, as these “leaked papers” were proved to be fake.
“We had heard these rumours on Tuesday evening, but it turned out to be fake papers. Last time also, if you remember, people had started saying many papers had leaked, with no merit or proof,” said Aqeel Ahmed, a student of National Public School.
Students, like Mayank Sharma, a student of South Delhi Public School, and teachers concurred that the paper was “balanced”, “student-friendly”, and even easier than the previous paper.
“As expected a few questions were designed to test the in depth conceptual knowledge of the students. It was a balanced paper for the students who prepared well,” said Anuradha Wadhwa, the economics teacher at Evergreen Senior Secondary School in Vasundhara Enclave.
The students also made history on Wednesday, as they became the first batch of students to attempt a nationwide retest after the board exams were introduced in the late 1970s, confirmed a CBSE official, on condition of anonymity.
“Since the board exams were introduced in the late 1970s, following the recommendations of the Kothari commission in 1966, this is the first nationwide retest. There have been leaks and retests, that were confined to certain parts of the country, before,” they said.
In 2014, for instance, reports of a Class 12 physics paper being leaked in Manipur had surfaced, and the retest was scheduled only for the centres in Manipur.
While CBSE chairperson, Anita Karwal, had said there is a “special strategy” in place to ensure a smooth exam, the board officials declined to comment on the specifics.
A school principal, on condition of anonymity, said while the examination centres used to go pick up the question papers from the banks themselves, the board had started sending the question papers to them directly, after the alleged paper leaks.
“But it used to be just one or two board officials who brought the paper; today, three had come in. The board seems to have gotten more alert to the vulnerabilities, and are constantly changing strategies, to ensure that no glitch happens,” they said.
I had received around three or four sets of papers, and I got a little worried. If it got leaked again, then it would mean that we may have another retest.
NAMAN GEET PARASHAR, student of Green Field Public School We had heard these rumours on Tuesday evening, but it turned out to be fake papers. Last time also, people had started saying papers had leaked, with no merit or proof.
AQEEL AHMED, student of National Public School