HYDERABAD: Even before the dust over the Public Service Commission question paper leaks has settled, lakhs of students appearing for the SSC examinations and their parents were in for a shock on Monday over an alleged leak of the Telugu question paper.
The question paper was shared in WhatsApp groups on Day 1 of the SSC examinations, causing major embarrassment to the government.
However, state officials, including director of school education A. Devasena, maintained that the "integrity of the exam has not been compromised" as the question paper, according to them, was shared at 9.37 am by a teacher of Number One Government High School, Tandur, in Vikarabad district, after the exam commenced at 9.30 am.
Devasena announced that the exams would be held as per the schedule and there was no need to cancel the Telugu exam. “It is more of a security lapse,” she said in a statement.
Representatives of teachers’ associations, as well as parents, however, disputed the official claims as there is a grace period of 15 minutes after the 9.30 am commencement of the exam for the students to enter the examination hall. The officials noticed the security lapse around two hours after the paper was first shared in a WhatsApp group.
The police said the investigation would focus on the motive of Bandappa, from whose mobile phone the question paper was first shared.
The leak evoked strong political reactions, with Bharatiya Janata Party state president Bandi Sanjay claiming that the government had no moral right to continue, in the wake of a series of paper leaks.
The National Students Union of India, the student wing of the Congress, staged a flash protest at the SSC office in Abids. The protesters raised slogans against the government and threw eggs on the office premises, forcing police to take scores of activists into custody.
Meanwhile, Vikarabad district collector C. Narayana Reddy told mediapersons that five employees, including Bandappa, were suspended and police were directed to investigate the matter. They have not admitted to the crime so far, but prima facie, it appears that they could have shared the question paper to help some students, he said.
Vikarabad SP (incharge) Muralidhar said that a case was registered against two teachers under Section 409 of the IPC and the Telangana Public Examinations (Prevention of Malpractice and Unfair means) Act and that they are being produced in court for judicial custody. Further investigation is on to identify the beneficiaries of the paper leak, he said.
Besides two teachers at the examination centre, school chief superintendent Shiva Kumar, and school assistants K. Gopal and Sammappa were also suspended.
According to the collector, Bandappa took the paper from an invigilator in Room No 5 of the examination centre and shared it with another teacher, Sammappa, besides posting it in a group. However, the officials noticed it only after mediapersons brought the issue to their notice.
Reactions
“The paper leak is an injustice to students who have worked hard for the exam. There are high chances that the invigilator leaked the paper between 9 am and 9.15 am, when he gained access. Such acts are carried out for commercial purposes for several years, it is only now that it is out in public.”
Yadagiri Shekhar Rao, Telangana Recognised School Managements Association president
“The invigilator was sending the paper to somebody else and by mistake, posted it in a WhatsApp group. Such acts are carried out for monetary purposes, which is demoralising for the students. The government has failed in the very first exam by not maintaining tight security. Phones are not allowed in the examination hall, which does not only apply to students but invigilators as well.”
Ch. Ravi, Telangana State United Teachers Federation general secretary, high school teacher
