Mass copying scandal - Free and fair matric exam is govt's priority: Bihar Education Minister

In view of photographs showing mass scale copying in last year's matriculation examination, the Bihar government on Wednesday resolved to conduct the test in a "free and fair" manner this year.  "Our government has taken a resolve to conduct free and fair examination for intermediate and matriculation. We will ensure no unfair means are used in the examination. We have successfully conducted intermediate examination in a free and fair manner recently," Bihar education minister Ashok Choudhary said.

Choudhary was replying to a debate on the education department's budgetary demand of Rs 21,897.02 crore for 2016-17. Intermediate examination concluded recently in the state, while the matric examination was scheduled to be held between March 12 to 18.

It may be noted that a photograph of a government school in Vaishali showed people perched on window shades of a multi-storey building handing over answer chits to students appearing for the exam inside. The picture had gone viral.

On the steps and measures taken to ensure free and fair examination during the recently held intermediate exam, Choudhary said the government took stern action against Centre Superintendents and other staff from where the department got reports of mass scale copying.

The government also decided not to hold examination at centres from where the department got complaints of mass scale copying in the past three years, besides introducing CCTVs and ensuring deployment of adequate security forces, Choudhary said.