Allegations of a paper leak during the ongoing board exams in Assam have stirred up a political storm, with opposition parties, clamouring for answers from education minister, Ranoj Pegu.
Tensions flared in the Assembly on Thursday as the issue sparked a fiery debate, leading to protests within the House, a brief adjournment, and an eventual walkout by Opposition members. The absence of Minister Pegu only fuelled the uproar.
Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition, Debabrata Saikia, took the opportunity to address pressing concerns on the floor of the House.
Saikia, while drawing parallels to a similar incident from the previous year, highlighted the reoccurrence of the HSLC paper leak.
He also cited instances where reports of paper leaks allegedly went unaddressed, indicating a delay in authority response.
As the Higher Secondary (HS) examinations commenced under the newly formed Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC), reports of question paper leaks have surfaced across the state.
In Hailakandi district, an alleged leak of the Bengali examination paper during the evening shift of the Higher Secondary exam on February 21, has added to the concerns.
In light of the latest reports, Additional District Commissioner Tridib Roy confirmed to an Assam daily that one student had been apprehended, pending further investigation. No arrests have been made as of now.
According to sources, the question paper for Modern Indian Language (Bengali) was distributed via a WhatsApp group named HSSC, allegedly by a student. The paper was uploaded at 2:39 pm, while the exam had commenced at 1:30 pm.
Earlier, on February 17, Education Minister Pegu had refuted reports of paper leaks during the HSLC board exams.
“The purported question paper leak in Cachar District is baseless. Investigations are underway to ascertain the origin of this misinformation, and appropriate legal actions will be pursued,” Pegu stated in social media post.
Despite the recent enactment of the Assam Public Examination (Measures for Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Bill, 2024, which proposes severe penalties for any involvement in question paper malpractices, incidents of leaks during board examinations is a matter of concern for the Education Department.
