HSC exams: Image of question paper on messaging app sparks panic

Students arrive for the HSC exam at Wilson College yesterday. Pic/Bipin Kokate

Even as the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination began smoothly yesterday, a case in Solapur division led to panic about a paper leak, in Mumbai division. About an hour after the paper began, an image, allegedly of the question paper, started being circulated on social media. While students panicked thinking this would be another year of paper leaks during the HSC exam, the Maharashtra State Board clarified that it was considered to be a case of exam malpractice and not a paper leak. It was a blurred image, and officials could not identify if it was yesterday's paper. The board has called for a report on the incident after an inquiry.

Case of malpractice
After the first paper i.e. of English language began at 11am on Wednesday, the image with a message stating that it was of the paper, went viral. The image was allegedly from an exam centre in Solapur's Barshi city. While the state board immediately clarified that since the image was seen after the examination had begun, it cannot be considered a leak, an urgent inquiry was initiated.

"From the primary information that we have received, it comes across as a case of malpractice during the examination, where students appearing for the paper not only had their mobile phones with them in the exam hall, but they could even use them to allegedly take pictures of the question paper. The images were out much after the exam began, so it is definitely not a leak. A detailed inquiry will give us more clarity," said Shakuntala Kale, chairperson of the Maharashtra State Board.

Also read: Paper leak: Don't give HSC exam paper early, say educators

She also said the images received by the state board from local media were completely blurred and officials were unable to identify whether it was yesterday's question paper. "But since we have received a complaint of such a serious nature, we will conduct an inquiry in the case to get to the bottom of it," added Kale.

Images sent to friends
According to sources from the locality where the incident occurred, the images were sent by students to their friends sitting outside the exam centres. "The images were taken by students appearing for today's examination at a school in Tambewadi, to be sent to their friends who could respond with answers on WhatsApp. However, the images went viral soon after, and a paper leak was suspected against the backdrop of the series of such leaks during the HSC examination, two years in a row," said the source.

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