GUWAHATI, Feb 21 - Alleging that a section of media has �created a false perception� about Monday�s goof-up during the ongoing HSLC examination, Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today said that he will request Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to relieve him from the Education department portfolio.
The Education Minister along with the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA) has been facing severe criticism after two examination centres received question papers of Social Science and Assamese (MIL) on a day when the subject General Mathematics was scheduled.
Replying to queries at a press conference here, the minister said that he does not want the students to be at the receiving end. Asserting that no question paper of the ongoing HSLC examination was leaked, Sarma said that the decision to reschedule the examinations was taken owing to the perception created by a section of media.
�Our official stand remains that there was no incident of paper leak. It was just a sorting error which was blown out of proportion. However, keeping in view the widespread reports, we will get an inquiry done by a judge of the Gauhati High Court once the examination is over,� Sarma said.
Sarma stated that the Social Science examination, which was rescheduled for March 8, will now be held on March 11.
Replying to incidents of shortage of question papers following which candidates were handed over photocopies of the original question paper, the minister reasoned that conducting HSLC examination is a massive exercise and such �small slip-up� is inevitable.