Ludhiana The leak of question papers for Punjab State Education Board (PSEB) mid-term examination for Classes 6-12 continued with monotonous regularity for the third day in a row on Thursday. This is despite the education department being aware of the matter and promising to check this blatant toying with the system.
This HT reporter did a reality check outside a Government Senior Secondary School in the city and found that the this time, history question paper of Class 11 had been leaked. A couple of students had the question paper on their phones, outside the centre. Later, the same question paper was distributed inside the hall. HT has photographs to prove this. A student claimed he had got the question paper from a YouTube channel. Source said that on Tuesday evening, a YouTube channel, Virdi Blog, had uploaded question papers of exams scheduled for Thursday (September 16)
Responding to the leaks that started from Monday, Punjab education secretary Krishan Kumar has ordered the department to conduct exams in two shifts. Chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh had also ordered immediate steps to plug this breach in the system.
Meanwhile, the principal of the school that HT visited on Thursday claimed to unaware of the leak. When shown the two photos of the question paper on mobile and the one distributed to students, she said, “We are working hard to check this. After receiving the question paper over e-mail around 8am today, we got them photocopied, strictly as per department guidelines. I was not aware that the department had not changed the question paper.”
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, the principal of the school that HT visited on Thursday claimed to unaware of the leak. When shown the two photos of the question paper on mobile and the one distributed to students, she said, “We are working hard to check this. After receiving the question paper over e-mail around 8am today, we got them photocopied, strictly as per department guidelines. I was not aware that the department had not changed the question paper.”
{{/usCountry}}She added that the entire examination system had now become an object of ridicule.
Sukhdarshan Singh, the whistle-blower in the entire matter, claimed, “The social studies question paper of Class 10 held today was also leaked on YouTube. I fail to understand that why has the department not approached the police to date.” Sukhdarshan is the president of Anti-Cheating Teachers’ Front, Punjab, and he has also uploaded his complaint online on a request from chief ministers’ office (CMO).
Despite messages and calls, district education officer Lakhvir Singh Samra remained unavailable for comment. Ludhiana deputy commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma also chose not to respond to text messages and calls from this reporter.