Purported images of English question papers from the ongoing class 10 board exams in West Bengal surfaced on social media platforms on Saturday. The incident comes just a day after similar unauthorized circulation of Bengali papers created a stir.
The West Bengal Board of Secondary Examinations took swift action, punishing 12 candidates concerning the English paper leaks.
After scrutiny, Ramanuj Ganguly, President of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Examinations, confirmed the authenticity of the circulated English question papers. The implicated candidates have been prohibited from participating in the remaining exams, and their Bengali papers from the previous day have been canceled as well.
Two additional candidates faced similar consequences for capturing and disseminating photographs of Bengali question papers on social media the day before.
Ganguly clarified that, despite the images surfacing after the exam commencement, the situation is not classified as a leak. The 12 candidates were found guilty of using mobile phones to capture photos of the English question paper inside examination centres and sharing them on WhatsApp. Ganguly emphasized the board's commitment to addressing the issue firmly without compromising the students' future, and no legal charges will be pressed against them.
Highlighting a concerning trend, Ganguly expressed his concern that some individuals are exploiting children to tarnish the state government's image and disrupt the examination process. He urged those behind such acts to reconsider their actions, emphasising the potential damage to the candidates' futures.
Education Minister Bratya Basu echoed Ganguly's sentiments, denouncing what he perceives as a "sinister effort" to disrupt the ongoing examination process and discredit the state government. He assured that such efforts would not succeed, and those plotting conspiracies would be exposed before the candidates and their parents.
The board also cancelled the English papers of three candidates in Katwa, Dakshin Dinajpur, and Malda districts for bringing mobile phones to examination centres. The unique secret code embossed on every page was utilized to verify the authenticity of the shared images, a precautionary measure introduced by the board following past instances of fake question paper images being circulated on social media.
On the examination day, an estimated 9,23,045 candidates wrote their papers at 2,675 centres across the state.
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