HSC paper leak: Maharashtra Education Minister Vinod Tawde calls it a 'very small matter'

Around five papers of Maharashtra HSC board examination have reportedly been leaked in the last one week on social messaging app WhatsApp.

However, according to a Times of India report, state education minister Vinod Tawde said that a paper is considered to have been leaked when students receive the paper a day or an hour before the examination, receiving the paper few minutes before the examination cannot really act in their advantage. He also went on to claim that the incident has taken place due to someone's "mischief", hence it is a "very small matter". His comments on the issue also indicated that HSC board examination are inconsequential for someone to indulge in cheating.

Earlier, the Mumbai Division Board received a copy of Mathematics and Statistics paper for commerce students on WhatsApp on Monday morning, and confirmed that it was the same question paper students were handed out. Though the Chairman of the board Dattatray Jagtap said that they have lodged a complaint at Vashi police station in the matter, the board maintained that it was not a leak but a malpractice as the question papers were already circulated to students.

The board on Monday also issued a circular to all centres and their heads to maintain a record of the candidates — along with their seat number, subject and reason for delay — who enter the examination hall between 11 AM and 11.30 AM.

Apart from that 28 mobile phones​ were seized and four persons, including three students and a private tutor, were arrested by Vashi police on Sunday and Monday morning.