Photograph of TET booklet on social media defames Cachar; SEBA to take legal action, probe initiated

Photograph of a booklet of Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) examination has gone viral on social media. The examination that concluded on October 31 will decide who becomes a teacher and shapes the future of the state. This was a competitive examination and the government had stringent rules and regulations at place. Hailakandi and Karimganj did not even get a centre as only Cachar was trusted with the responsibility.

The deputy commissioner of Cachar, Keerthi Jalli had congratulated the team, Cachar Police, invigilators and others associated with the process. The congratulatory message read, “Congratulations on having an incident free exam. Thanks to applicants, wards, transport services, ngos helping candidates etc. Special credit to Cachar Team including District Administration and Police Administration for conducting the TET exam of UP & LP covering candidates of 37,304 in Cachar District smoothly and successfully. We also appreciate our Centre Incharges, Invigilators, flying squads, District’s Supervising Officers and also SOs coming from Nagaon and Kamrup Metro for their services rendered for the greater interest of our students future.”

Now it seems, the deputy commissioner spoke too soon. A booklet that is supposed to be kept sealed at a safe enclosure has gone viral on social media. When mobile phones were disallowed, how did the booklet reach public domain? Who clicked the photograph and uploaded it? Was the question paper leaked to help certain candidates? There are many questions and each are legitimate. This incident could end up being the reason for reexamination. Someone can go to the court and delay the process as happened during 2018 APSC recruitment. It is a chaos and the heart of this chaos is Cachar District Administration.

If sources in Dispur are to be believed, Secondary Education Board of Assam is contemplating to lodge an FIR against the violation of rules and regulations.

Based on investigative journalism carried out by the team of Barak Bulletin, it can be confirmed that the booklet containing all the questions reached the public domain from Moinul Haque Choudhury School, Sonabarighat’s room number four. Moreover, it is also confirmed that Inspector of Schools, Cachar, Samina Yasmin Rahman has asked head of the Centre, Mustafizur Rahman to probe the matter and submit a report before her by afternoon. Magistrates have also established connection with the head of the centre and other officials to understand the matter. Sources confirmed that Mustafizur Rahman assured total cooperation in any probe and himself requested for an investigation.

The TET booklets are sealed and packed separately for each candidate. When the booklet that contains the questions and an OMR sheet, is handed over to the applicants, the invigilators asks the candidate to confirm that the booklet is totally packed and the seal is not tempared. After checking and verifyiing, the candidates sign to remain witness of the same. After the examination is over, the OMR sheets are sealed and shipped while the collected booklets are supposed to be kept in a safe within the respective centre till the process is over.

The image of the booklet that has gone viral  contains the Roll Number of the candidate which means, it is highly unlikely that a candidate would click the image. Also, mobile phones or electronic cameras are banned inside the centre, each candidate was checked multiple times before allowing access, so, where did the camera come from?

Sources in Inspector of Schools informed that the concerned officers believe an invigilator has clicked the image on his or her way from the hall to the common room or at the common room itself during sorting. But, to make it more mysterious, the invigilators too had to submit their mobile phones before entering the hall. In MHC School, it was decided that two invigailators will be invigilating in a hall with more than 24 applicants while one invigilator will do the same in halls up to 24 candidates. Room Number 4 had 24 applicants, so, there were only one invigilator. All inivigilators are from the same school itself and Barak Bulletin is in a position to confirm that one male teacher of the school was on duty in that room. However, there is no certainity that he has clicked they photograph of the booklet and shared it on social media.

Professors Barak Bulletin spoke with said that question paper leak is “unlikely” in this case as the Roll Number is mentioned. However, the entire matter is subject to investigation. What also remains to be seen is what impact it has on the integrity of the examination. Also, should the School Inspector and Head of Examination should probe the matter or should an investigation agency take it over? Important questions and concerns are coming in from all squares. What unfolds in the next 24 hours will be crucial. At the end of the day, this examination is to test the eligibility of teachers and teachers are the backbone of the nation.