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Cyber cell starts probe into question leak, BPSC fresh exam date after gaps plugged

By, Patna
May 09, 2022 10:24 PM IST

The cyber cell of Bihar Police has started a probe into the “leakage” of a set of question papers of the 67th Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) for key posts in the state administration, which led to the cancellation of the exam within a few hours after it ended on Sunday, officials said.

The cyber cell of Bihar Police has started a probe into the “leakage” of a set of question papers of the 67th Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) for key posts in the state administration, which led to the cancellation of the exam within a few hours after it ended on Sunday, officials said.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar speaks with media persons after ‘Janata Ka Darbar’ programme in Patna. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo)
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar speaks with media persons after ‘Janata Ka Darbar’ programme in Patna. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo)

On Sunday, as the exams started, question papers found its way on the social media, causing a big embarrassment for the state government.

The BPSC later cancelled the exam and immediately handed over probe to the state police.

NH Khan, additional director general (ADG) who heads the state’s Economic Offence Unit (EOU) and holds additional charge of Special Vigilance Unit (SVU), said a 13-member team has been set up under superintendent of police (cyber cell) Sushil Kumar to probe the matter.

“Preliminary findings show it may have happened from an examination centre, but this has to be established. The entire probe will be under my monitoring and the police of all the districts are cooperating. I am confident we will be able to nab the culprits soon,” Khan said.

Meanwhile, chief minister on Monday said his government will ensure that those involved in the crime are brought to book. “It is a matter of serious concern. I have asked senior officials to complete the probe at the earliest. No one will be spared,” Kumar told reporters after winding up his weekly public interaction “Janata Darbar”.

Big questions

The leakage of question papers before exams is not a new phenomenon in the state. “What is worrying this time is that it has happened with the state’s top exam, which had so far remained untouched from the enormous clout of the education mafia. If the question paper is leaked after the seals were opened, there is very little the BPSC can do about it. But unscrupulous elements behind this must be identified and given the harshest punishment for playing with the future of so many youths,” said former BPSC member Shiva Jatan Thakur.

Thakur said that as per provisions, questions are sent in sealed packets from the printing press, about which confidentiality is maintained, to the district magistrates (DMs) where exam centres are located. “It is the DM’s duty to send the question papers safely to the exam centres, where the seals are opened at the scheduled time in the presence of magistrate, centre superintendent and 3-4 other observers or officials, who all have to put in their signature. The selection of centres is also to be done after thorough scrutiny and only after fulfilling laid down parameters does the BPSC make payment per student. But if centres are allotted on other considerations, I cannot comment. What has happened was, perhaps, waiting to happen due to the pitiable state Bihar’s higher education has slipped into,” he said.

The dubious history

Another professor, who did not want to be named, said mushrooming private colleges and their alleged tendency to manage centres using their influence could also be a factor, as had surfaced during Bihar Board exams in 2016, when the topper, Ruby Rai, could not even pronounce the subject she excelled in. The episode had stumped the authorities and led to the arrest of the beneficiary students, kingpin and officials who had connived.

In 2003, Ranjit Singh alias Ranjit Don, kingpin of a racket who managed beforehand question papers of entrance examinations for top medical and business management institutes, was arrested by the CBI.

In 2014, he came on the radar of the Madhya Pradesh special task force in connection with the irregularities in Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) and Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC). Ranjit later contested election from Nalanda on LJP ticket, but lost. He had also unsuccessfully contested the 2004 Lok Sabha polls as an Independent from Begusarai.

Bihar was also linked to the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh. It was suspected that many of its students made it to medical entrance through dubious means. Several of these students were also questioned by the CBI.

In 2017, former deputy chief minister of Bihar, Sushil Kumar Modi, had demanded a thorough probe by CBI after the question paper for clerical examination to be conducted by the Bihar Staff Selection Commission (BSSC) was leaked before the exam, which had to be cancelled.

“It is a matter of probe to find out the source of leak and if there were discrepancies in the allotment of centres. If the centres are vulnerable, it can fail all arrangements. The role of market players, like coaching institutes, who sell dreams by guaranteeing success and project big names even from the government service as mentors, cannot be ruled out. The exam centres are now required to have jammers to restrict photographic e-transmission of papers. As per Public Exam Act, no mobile phones are allowed in a radius of 200 metres from the centres. However, these protocols can be followed only with quality centres, not with managed ones. Cyber cell should certainly be able to track the origin of the first snap,” Modi said.

Fresh exam after report

BPSC chairman RK Mahajan said the probe was expected to reach the real culprits soon. “We will wait for the report from the police so that we could also plug the gaps. Whoever is responsible for this will not be spared to send the right message across. We also feel for the students who put in so much hard work and have to suffer due to the follies of a few. Once the report arrives, we will also announce fresh date for the exam. We will do it soon,” he said.

On possible foul play at the exam centre, Mahajan said it was a matter of investigation. “We got information from just one college in Ara, Veer Kuer Singh College (an affiliated college), that the exam could not take place there due to protests by candidates. We will see what changes we need to incorporate to prevent any such recurrence. Any compromise with the sanctity of exam will not be accepted,” he said.

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