SSC maths paper leaked on Telegram; Pune board files police complaint

The alleged leak involves the mathematics part 1 and part 2 papers of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination conducted by the MSBSHSE

The class 10 mathematics question paper of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) was allegedly leaked on a Telegram group before the examination, prompting the authorities to lodge a police complaint and initiate an investigation, officials said on Wednesday.

Acting chairman of the state board, Nandkumar Bedse (in pic), confirmed that the board had received complaints regarding the mathematics question papers being circulated on social media. (HT)

The alleged leak involves the mathematics part 1 and part 2 papers of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination conducted by the MSBSHSE. According to board officials, the question papers were circulated on a Telegram channel ahead of the scheduled exams, raising concerns over confidentiality of the ongoing board examinations.

Officials said that the mathematics part 1 paper, scheduled for March 6, was allegedly uploaded on a Telegram group on the night of March 5 at around 8.37 pm. Similarly, the mathematics part 2 paper, conducted on March 9, was reportedly circulated on the same group on March 6, nearly three days before the exam.

The suspected leak came to light on March 9 after officials from the Pune divisional board received information about a suspicious Telegram link circulating on social media. Upon checking the group, authorities reportedly found images of the mathematics question papers shared prior to the examination.

Following this, assistant superintendent Chandrakant Vaijnath Jevlikar, 53, attached to the Pune divisional office of the state board and a resident of Dhankawadi, lodged a complaint at Shivajinagar police station on March 9.

Krushikesh Rawale, deputy commissioner of police (zone 1), said, “According to the complaint, the mathematics 1 paper was shared on March 5 at around 8.37 pm, while the mathematics 2 paper was circulated on March 6 at about 4.56 pm through an unidentified Telegram channel link.”

Police said that the unknown Telegram group administrator and members allegedly circulated the papers intentionally, compromising the confidentiality of the examination and enabling unfair means during the class 10 board exams.

Based on the complaint, the police have registered offences under sections 223 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita; sections 6 and 7 of the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at University, Board and Other Specified Examinations Act, 1982; and sections 66 and 72 of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

Senior police inspector Girishkumar Dighavkar of Shivajinagar police station said that a technical investigation is underway to identify those responsible for circulating the papers online.

Acting chairman of the state board, Nandkumar Bedse, confirmed that the board had received complaints regarding the mathematics question papers being circulated on social media.

“We received information from complainants that the mathematics question papers were circulating on social media. A police complaint has been filed to verify the authenticity of the claims. Further action will be taken after the investigation,” Bedse said.

Officials said that the police have contacted Telegram and the concerned group has been blocked. Two police teams have also been dispatched as part of the investigation to trace those involved in the alleged leak.

Meanwhile, the MSBSHSE issued a clarification about the alleged leaks. Deepak Mali, secretary, MSBSHSE, stated that the board received a complaint regarding a Telegram link (http://t.me/Maharashtraleakar) allegedly circulating exam papers. Upon verification, it was found that the messages suggesting that the mathematics part 1 and part 2 papers were available in advance were misleading. The MSBSHSE clarified: “Mathematics part 2 paper for March 9 was uploaded after the exam had concluded, not before it began.

Similarly, mathematics part 1 papers were not available on the Telegram group before the beginning of the exam. Messages promising papers in advance were part of a financial scam: users were asked to pay to access PDFs via personal messages, rather than papers being publicly leaked.

Science papers (part 1 and part 2) were also mentioned on the Telegram group, and attempts were made to solicit payment for access; however, these papers were not provided before the scheduled exam times.

The board emphasised that there is no prima facie evidence that any official board papers were available on Telegram before the exams started. FIRs have been filed and police investigations are ongoing to determine the motives behind the group, which appears to be primarily financial fraud rather than exam sabotage.