HSLC, HS exams in Cachar plagued by cheating, malpractices; DC, SP on ground to ensure fairness

Gonirgram examination centre has once again come under the scanner as a large number of cheats were recovered from the candidates appearing for HSLC and HS exams at JR Higher Secondary School. The cheats were found by Police and locals who were conducting a search of the candidates before the start of the exams.

In the morning, bags of cheats were recovered from the HSLC candidates at the examination centre. However, the real shocker came in the afternoon when the HS final exams were being held at the same centre. Before the exam started, the Police and locals searched the candidates at the entrance gate and that is when handwritten cheats and textbooks were recovered from the secret parts of the candidates.

DC Cachar, Rohan Kumar Jha confirmed that the examination conducted on March 3 at the centre has been nullified. It is worth mentioning here that Barak Bulletin published the news of cheating at the mentioned centre on March 3. The news report featured video footage of how the cheats were distributed to the students.

This is not the only centre making trouble for the administration. Within fifteen minutes after the HSLC exam started today, the Mathematics question paper went viral in Cachar. In fact, Cachar SP Numal Mahatta visited Dolugram Union High School and conducted a search. The police officials seized around 50 mobile phones of invigilators and students from the common room of the school. The Cachar DC, SP and Inspector of Schools conducted probes in various examination centres of Lakhipur to unveil the source from which the question paper went viral.

“We have identified the source, and it was an attempt to cheat. The student went inside the centre with mobile phone hidden in his shoe. He clicked images of the question paper and shared it with people outside to help him cheat by providing the answers,” added deputy commissioner of Cachar, Rohan Kumar Jha.

There are many reports claiming that it was a question paper leak. However, the officials have confirmed that the question paper got circulated only after the examination had already started. Therefore, it cannot be considered as a leak – term used to explain scenarios where question papers are accessed before the examination is conducted for students to be able to prepare chits to cheat.

Barak Bulletin correspondent visited various examination centres under Lakhipur Education block, Udharbond Education block and Katigorah Education block after the question papers went viral. It was soon found out that the security arrangements in the examination centres were insufficient. As per section 144 imposed, people can’t assemble in front of examination centres, however, it was seen that youths were chatting in front of shops near the examination centres. The Police also could not be seen on duty.

In Baskandi Nenamiya Higher Secondary School, reporters saw around 50-60 youths assembled together in front of the school who climbed the walls of the examination centre and handed over chits to the candidates. Similar scenes greeted our correspondent at Baskandi High School. Not a single police officer was seen on duty in the exam centre. In a shop located around 15-20 meters away from the school, a few boys were seen sorting out the chits on a bench. Notably, the Baskandi Police Outpost is located just 200 metres away from the exam centre.