OMR Sheet Missing: BSE to fix issue of 108 students post Matric exam

Malkangiri: The future of 108 Class X students, whose OMR sheets of Mathematics paper were found missing from their exam centre in Malkangiri, still hangs in balance as the Board of Secondary Education (BSE) Odisha is yet to decide on the measures it would initiate for these 108 students during paper evaluation.

While an investigation is in progress to ascertain the circumstances in which the OMR sheets went missing, BSE president Jahan Ara Begum has clearly stated that the Board will take stringent action against all the accused after police probe is complete. However, as far as the students are concerned, the Board will finalise everything after a meeting of examination committee, sources said.

"Following the police probe, our exam committee will sit and decide on the next course of action. The meeting will be held after completion of all the examinations. We did whatever was possible and the next action will be taken by exam committee," stated Ramasish Hajra, Secretary, Board of Secondary Education.

Reportedly, the OMR sheets of the Mathematics paper of nearly 108 students were found missing from government-run SSD Padia High School in Malkangiri district, which happens to be their exam centre.

Based on initial reports, the Malkangiri district collector had suspended Centre Superintendent Bidyut Kumar Patra and Assistant Superintendent Satrughna Swain in connection with the case.

Acting on the directive of the Board, the BEO had also lodged an FIR at Padia police station against Gathanapalli High School Headmaster Jalandhar Behera, Assistant Superintendent Satrughna Swain and Observer Sandeep Sahu. While all three have been arrested, one Suprit Sethi, who was working as the peon of Padia school, has been suspended.

The matriculation examinations began on February 22 and will conclude on March 8.