GUWAHATI, March 10 - An inquiry committee formed by the Assam Higher Secondary Educational Council (AHSEC) will start probe into the alleged question paper leak in Goalpara amid demands from various quarters to conduct an impartial probe into the matter.
The allegations surfaced after striking similarities were reported between the test papers of Science Academy of Goalpara and the question papers of mathematics, chemistry and physics prepared by the AHSEC for Higher Secondary final examinations.
The inquiry committee is headed by Justice (Retd) BC Das, former district and sessions judge. The committee includes three teachers from Cotton University � Dr Shantanu Baishya (physics), Dr Manjit Bhattacharyya (chemistry) and Dr Rajeeb Bhuyan (mathematics).
Amid an ongoing protest over the issue in Goalpara, the AHSEC has categorically denied any such question paper leak.
�The Science Academy prepared four sets of test papers for its students in each subject, which means test paper of each subject contained at least 170 probable questions in every subject. On the other hand, the AHSEC question papers, prepared from the same textbook contain nearly 43 questions. In such circumstances, it is quite possible that most of our questions were covered in the exhaustive set of 170 questions of test paper,� said Jyoti Kalita, examination-in-charge of the AHSEC.
�However, we want to keep things transparent and the committee has been formed to remove any confusion among examinees, guardians and common people in this regard. We have asked the committee to verify whether the rest of the questions of the test papers were from textbook or not,� he said, adding, in no way, this incident can be termed as question paper leak.
Meanwhile, the regional unit of the All Assam Students� Union (AASU) today burnt the effigy of State Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in protest against the alleged leak. The AASU had demanded an inquiry into the matter on March 7, when the first such incident was reported. It has also demanded to bring the AHSEC officials within the ambit of the probe.
The Students Federation of India (SFI) has also demanded an impartial probe alleging that such incidents leave an adverse impact on the minds of students appearing for the examinations.
�The possibility of involvement of private educational institutions and AHSEC officials in the leak cannot be ruled out,� an SFI statement issued today said.
