In a surprising twist, 32 applicants have been barred for reportedly distributing pictures of Madhyamik (Class 10 state board) exam papers on WhatsApp and social platforms after the commencement of the test.
Earlier this week, the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE), which oversees the Madhyamik exams, prevented around 32 candidates from taking the exam because they were found with mobile phones in the exam halls, as per The Indian Express.
Question papers were discovered circulating on social media after the commencement of the exam on February 2, 3, and 5. Two candidates were barred on the first day, with 13 more facing disqualification on the following day. Additionally, nine students were disqualified on Monday, as per a report by the Indian Express.
On Tuesday, Ramanuj Ganguly, the president of WBBSE, inspected five Madhyamik exam centers in Malda district, including the two where the Bengali and English question papers were leaked during the initial two days of the board exam. Subsequently, he reported that eight students were disqualified for possessing prohibited devices such as smartphones or smartwatches at the exam centers. However, the question paper was not found on social media on the fourth day of the exam.
Ganguly explained that discovering these devices doesn't automatically mean a question paper was leaked. Nonetheless, the Indian Express reported that the board's stringent prohibition on bringing such devices into exam halls led to serious repercussions for those caught using them during exams.
