A day after the HSC Marathi language paper was reportedly leaked minutes before the start of the exam on WhatsApp, several purported versions of the Secretarial Practice (SP) question paper were allegedly doing the rounds on the instant messaging application, students and coaching class owners said. "While some of the question papers seemed fake, others were in the board format," said Narendra Bhambwani, a coaching class owner who had alerted the board about the Marathi paper leak through the media.
Dattatray Jagtap, Chairperson, Mumbai division, said a leak was not possible. "There is no possibility of a leak as the board seals the packets containing question papers. We also maintain confidentiality. Students should ignore the rumours and stop panicking," he added.
This apart, the Mumbai divisional board registered a police complaint at Vashi police station on Friday evening in connection with the Marathi language paper leak on Thursday. "We have registered a complaint furnishing all the relevant details that we have, including the images of the leaked paper along with screenshots of the WhatsApp group where it was reportedly posted," said Jagtap.
Jagtap said strict instructions have been given to all officials to ensure that there is no scope for malpractice in the future. "We have directed our officials, and schools, to be extra cautious with the exam. We have instructed that electronic devices be left with the supervisor to curb malpractice," he added.
Ajay Lagande, Senior Police Inspector, Vashi police station, said the board has submitted a complaint that will now be forwarded to the crime branch and the cyber cell for further investigation.
With the leak being the third such case in the last three years, experts have pointed out several loopholes in the existing norms laid by the board.
A senior teacher of a junior college in the city said the grace period given to students to reach the exam hall in case of an emergency can be misused in such cases. According to board rules, a student can be handed the question paper till 11.30 am in case he or she reaches late due to an emergency.
Basanti Roy, former secretary of the Mumbai divisional board, said the board needs to exercise caution and restrict the use of electronic devices by supervisors who open the sealed question paper packets a few minutes before the exam starts.
"The practice of distributing question papers 10 minutes before the exam starts could cause problems," added Roy.
(With inputs from Kranti Vibhute)
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