AASU, Congress slam SEBA and education minister over leak of HSLC question paper; CID probe ordered

Guwahati, March 13: The anomalies pertaining to the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) Examination continues to haunt the students after Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu announced the cancellation of Science paper in the midnight after the minister got some clue that today's paper (general science) has been leaked.

While sharing a notification from the Board of Secondary Education Assam SEBA- which is responsible for conducting the board exams of Class 10, Pegu in a tweet stated, “General Science examination of the on-going HSLC examination scheduled for 13/03/2023 has been cancelled by SEBA in view of media reports of leakage of the question paper. Next date will be announced in due course.”

This comes just a few days after several anomalies were reported in terms of conducting the exams. The latest being the Cachar incident were the maths question paper has gone viral, prompting the authorities to take strict action against the centre from where the question paper has gone viral on March 6. The SEBA has also declared the re-examination of the HSLC English paper which was held on March 3. A total of 760 number of students from J R Higher Secondary School, Ganirgram of Cachar district was reported to have used unfair means during examination hours following which they will have to re-appear for English subject, in the Compartmental Examination, 2023 to be held in due course. Moreover, several videos of people using unfair means came to the fore as they were seen supplying chits to the students during examination.

After the latest incident, although a police case has been filed and the CID has been roped in to investigate the matter, the incidents are rather impacting the student community who are appearing for their board exams.

Assam’s apex student body- All Assam Students Union AASU and political parties are questioning the credibility of the board as well the education minister who have failed to halt the rampant anomalies existing in the system.

While condemning today’s incident, Sankar Jyoti Baruah, General Secretary, AASU said, “The sudden announcement of the cancellation of the science paper at the dead of the night is concerning. Several students were even unaware of the development and they reached the exam centres to appear for the exam, this is harassment for the students. SEBA authorities have failed to conduct the examination in a fair manner. This is the third such incident this year when they have to cancel an examination. Lakhs of students toil the entire year to sit for the exams, such incidents is a mental harassment for the student community.”

Baruah also demanded an investigation on SEBA and the authorities concerned. He further said that SEBA chairman Ramesh Chandra Jain and Education minister Ranoj Pegu should resign from their post and take responsibility for the anomalies prevailing in the board and department.

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Bhupen Kumar Borah while expressing his views said that, “Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has failed to maintain the sanctity of the education department. Why no one has been taken into account for the anomalies? Why no action has been taken against the education minister or the authorities responsible for conducting the exams. It is harassment for the students appearing for the board exams.”

Meanwhile, the AASU unit of Biswanth Chariali in Sonitpur district burned effigies of the state education minister Ranoj Pegu. Hundreds of protesters from AASU took out a protest march from Shahid Bhawan in Biswanath Nagar to Police Point. They also raised slogans against State Chief Minister, Education Minister and SEBA.

Similar scenes were seen in Raha, as AASU staged a protest at Raha chariali on NH 37 on Monday.

The Assam Police while speaking to the media informed that after the HSLC science paper has gone viral on media, the SEBA authorities has filed an FIR and it has been forwarded to the CID department. The CID has registered a case in this regard following which an investigation has already been initiated.

Director General of Police (DGP) of Assam, GP Singh also confirmed in a tweet that the CID will probe the incident and will bring the culprits and conspirators to law.