Class IX question papers reportedly leaked across State
SHILLONG/ TURA: There was sporadic leakage of question papers prepared by MBOSE for Class IX students all over the State, but MBOSE failed to take necessary corrective steps to address the issue.
There were reports of question paper leak in Garo Hills, Jaintia Hills and a few schools in Shillong.
In one of such cases, two girls of Tikrikilla Girl’s Secondary School were involved in the question paper leak in the school, according to police.
On November 24, T.R. Laloo, Deputy Controller, Examinations, MBOSE, Tura, lodged a complaint at Tikrikilla PS in relation to the leakage of Class IX common question paper in the subject of Science & Technology and Mathematics at Tikrikilla Girl’s Secondary School.
During investigation, it was learnt that two girls, both Class IX students of Tikrikilla Girl’s Secondary School, were involved in the case.
On Thursday last, the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) handed over a copy of a leaked question paper of Khasi (MIL) subject set by the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE) to MBOSE Executive Chairman E.P. Kharbhih. Incidentally, the date of the said examination was on Friday.
Sources informed that in certain parts of Shillong, Class IX students had access to certain question papers ahead of the scheduled examination dates. A private tutor based in Shillong informed this scribe that on the eve of last Friday’s examination, some students approached him with a set of questions. The tutor realized only the next day that the questions asked by the students were exactly same as the question paper.
MBOSE questions paper for Class IX examination also reportedly leaked in Jaintia Hills with students appearing for the said examination getting question papers before their scheduled examination.
Sources informed that some students of two schools – Holy Cross Secondary School and Modern Narpuh Secondary School – both located at Umkiang in East Jaintia Hills had allegedly obtained question papers for Social Studies ahead of the examination date on Wednesday.
“Photo copies of the questions were being sold at Rs.150 to Rs.200 to some students of Class IX,” the sources informed.
When contacted MBOSE Chairman E.P. Kharbhih, while admitting that the leak did take place in the plain belt areas of Garo Hills, did not specify where exactly it happened.
He said that an FIR was filed soon after the leak but said that since it was an internal examination it was the school in question that was responsible and not the Board.
However, sources said that the Board cannot shirk its responsibility since it was preparing the question papers, adding that the Board should have adopted foolproof measures to ensure that there is no leakage of question papers.
Deputy Controller of Examinations, SSLC Branch, T.R. Laloo, while confirming the leak, said that it happened at Phulbari and Tikrikilla and that the matter was presently under investigation by the police.
When asked about the process of distribution of question papers to the various examination centres, he informed that the deficit centres are asked to collect the question papers from MBOSE some weeks prior to the commencement of the examinations.
Informing that there are several examination centres under a single Deficit Centre, he further said that the schools and institutions are then asked to collect the question papers from their respective Deficit Centres ahead of the examinations.
When asked about the action being taken, he said that an FIR was filed soon after the leak and that it was up to the police to find out the source of the leak.
Besides the question paper leak of Class 9 subjects, the question papers of Selection Test for Class X were leaked in Garo Hills recently. Though MBOSE did not set the question papers for the Selection Test, the leak had affected many students who were preparing for their final examinations.