Bhubaneswar: Despite all big talk and elaborate arrangements by the government for smooth conduct of annual High School Certificate Examination, the question paper of MIL (Odia) was reportedly found circulating on mobile platforms on the first day of the Board exam in Odisha today.
According to sources, the MIL (Odia) question paper was spotted going viral in Dharamgarh area of Kalahandi about one and a half hour after commencement of the examination.
It appeared that the photographs of the question paper were clicked outside an exam centre. However, whether the viral paper belongs to this year or previous year is yet to be ascertained.
“I was in the Assembly and learnt about the incident now from mediapersons. Mobile phones were banned into the exam centre. If such incident happened, we have to ascertain the authenticity of the question papers being circulated,” said School and Mass Education Minister Sameer Dash.
The minister said the incident will be probed and action will be taken against those found guilty.
This year, altogether 5, 60, 905 students are appearing the exam conducted by the Odisha Board of Secondary Education at 2,888 centres across the State.
This is not the first time the question paper of Matric examination has gone viral. Last year, MIL (Odia) question paper was leaked on social media minutes after commencement of the annual exam. The MIL (Odia) question paper had surfaced on WhatsApp in Nuapada and Dhenkanal districts just after the students appeared in the exam.
After Dharamgarh, the MIL-Odia question paper was seen doing rounds through mobile phones in Bolangir as well. The question paper reportedly matched with the actual Set-B question papers that were distributed at various examination centres across Odisha today.
Sashikant Patel, a student who appeared for the matric exams today said, “It’s the same question paper that was given to me. I want justice as the efforts we are putting in to secure good marks in the exam seem to be all in vain.”
An invigilator of an examination centre in Bolangir said, “There was no leak from our centre. The authorities should look into the matter to check if the allegations are true or not.”
However, refuting the allegations, the Secretary of Board Of Secondary Education (BSE), Odisha said, “We don’t have any specific complaints about question papers being circulated outside. It might have been circulated following the conclusion of the examination.”