Mumbai: Third time in row Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination was hit with a paper leak. The Marathi paper, scheduled for Thursday at 11 am, was leaked on WhatsApp barely 15 minutes before it began. Counting incidents from the past two years, this becomes the third such instance of a paper leak in the HSC exam. The previous paper leaks have been in 2015 and 2016, book-keeping and accountancy papers had been similarly released on WhatsApp. Board officials are calling it a malpractice, not a leak, the Mumbai division has decided to complain to the cyber-crime cell on Friday.
Marathi is an optional second language 100-mark paper for Class XII students across streams. In Mumbai, as many as 1.2 lakh students appeared for it. According to the Mumbai division, which also includes Thane, Palghar and Raigad, it got hold of the actual images at 5pm. As reported by DNA, SY Chandekar, Mumbai division secretary of the board said that they received complaint about Marathi paper leak, on March 2, they probing the matter, and if the Board confirms the leak they initiate action.
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Narendra Bhambwani, former president of MCOA and owner of coaching centre in Mira Road, received this paper leak information from a female student, which she had forwarded on whatsapp group at about 10.46 am. But after the exams many of his students confessed of receiving the image of the paper half an hour before the exam.
Narendra Bhambwani also mentioned that he reported the matter as soon as he received the images of the leaked paper. Bhambhawni’s students also confessed that they received the image of leaked paper on March 1, but due lack evidence they didn’t report the matter to him. Narendra Bhambwani plans to file a PIL in Bombay High Court for paper leaking issue. Bhambwani has been reporting paper leaks for past several years, but the board hasn’t taken any strong stance on this issue.
