Guwahati, Feb 16: Assam education minister Ranoj Pegu has debunked reports of HSLC examination question paper leak in Cachar district while claiming them to be misinformation.
Pegu further stated that the origins of the “fake” news were being probed and that necessary legal measures would be enforced accordingly.
“The reports of HSLC examination question paper leak in Cachar district are fake. Authorities are currently probing the origins of this false news and will enforce legal measures accordingly,” the minister took to microblogging site, X to respond in the wake of alarming rumours circulating regarding the alleged leak of the question paper.
According to reports, the “leaked” question paper of High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) Exam 2024, which got underway across 913 examination centres of the state on Friday, originated from an examination centre in Cachar district and that the paper got “leaked” within half an hour of the commencement of the exam.
The leaked question paper also went viral on social media platforms.
Notably as many as 4,25,965 students are appearing in the exam, being conducted by the Secondary Education Board, Assam (SEBA) from February 16 to March 4, 2024.
The education minister had on February 10 said that a comprehensive review of arrangements for the smooth administration of both HSLC and Higher Secondary exams was conducted in conjunction with the chairpersons of SEBA and AHSEC along with all district commissioners, superintendents of police and school inspectors.
A state-level examination supervision committee, chaired by the secretary of school education along with district-level committees headed by respective district commissioners, is overseeing the examination process.
It may be recalled that amid allegations of leakage of a General Science question paper of HSLC Examination 2023, the criminal investigation department (CID) of Assam Police had last year conducted a detailed investigation over three months and charge-sheeted 41 accused in connection with the incident.
Among the 41 charge-sheeted, 10 are teachers, two attendants, 24 students while five are middlemen. They were charge-sheeted under Sections 120 B/420/409/218/201 of IPC and Section 66 B of the IT Act for being part of the conspiracy to leak and circulate the question paper of General Science of HSLC Examination, 2023.