Mumbai Paper Gets Hold Of HSC Answer Sheet Even Before Results Are Out
While the annual HSC examinations in Mumbai are often a victim of mass copying, Mumbai Mirror claims, it has unearthed a case of organised cheating being conducted in a way hitherto unimaginable.Mumbai Mirror reports it
While the annual HSC examinations in Mumbai are often a victim of mass copying, Mumbai Mirror claims, it has unearthed a case of organised cheating being conducted in a way hitherto unimaginable.
Mumbai Mirror reports it has in its possession a candidate's answer sheet for the Bookkeeping and Accountancy paper held on March 6 that should have been part of the top-secreet evaluation process.
Sources say this paper was replaced by the student and his supervisor with another answer sheet, solved outside the examination centre with the help of text books.
When Mumbai Mirror showed the answer sheet to the chairperson of the state board, Vijaysheela Sardesai, she was shocked: “In all my years in the service, I have never seen anything so shocking,” she said. Sardesai has now ordered an immediate, high-level inquiry into the matter.
The answer sheet in Mumbai Mirror's possession has the student's roll number and signature, the supervising examiner's signature, the identification number of the exam centre, and has been verified as completely authentic by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE).
A bar code pasted on it in the examination hall, however, has been pulled out.
This paper should have gone from the examination centre to the state board's custody centre, where a Unique Identification (UID) code would have been pasted on it. From there, it should've been shipped to examiners for checking.
“For a written answer sheet to be outside the evaluation process is a very serious offence and matter of grave concern. This paper is board property, and no one should be able procure it anywhere,” MSBSHSE secretary Vijaysheela Sardesai said.
“We have appointed a committee that will identify the student, check his handwriting, and talk to examiners. We will also question the supervisor and the chief of that particular centre. We don't want to jump to any conclusions, but every possibility will be investigated. If there is a cheating racket, we have to get to the bottom of it,” she added.
Sources say such an organised cheating would not be possible unless the student, the supervisor, and perhaps even the head of the examination centre (whose location we have withheld at the board's request) were in cahoots.
A highly placed source explained the whole process. “Supervisors are given a few extra answer sheets in case any of the papers given out are damaged. After distributing answer sheets to students in the exam hall, a supervisor who is part of the racket, hands over these extra sheets to an outsider to write the correct answers with the help of text books, notes, and in some cases, even teachers.
“The student, meanwhile, starts writing on the answer sheet given to him at the centre, and ensures that the bar code is pasted loosely on it.
“Finally, when the completed answer sheets come back to the supervisor, he removes the bar code from the paper written inside the centre and pastes it on the one solved outside. This paper is then sent for evaluation, while the original sheet is destroyed”.
Shiridhar Salunkhe, chairman of the Mumbai Division Board, confirmed the answer sheet belonged to his division. “Only our answer sheets have the kind of thread stitching we see in this paper,” he said.
Salunkhe revealed there had been doubts that cheating of such nature may be taking place, but there were no real leads until now.
“Since this sheet does not have the UID code pasted in the custody centre, this malpractice happened where the students sit for the exam. When I had taken over as board chairman, there were hints of such a racket. I even put a dummy student to try and crack it, but could not succeed. Now, my doubts are confirmed,” Salunkhe said.
Conceding the board's request, Mumbai Mirror has handed over the answer sheet to the board for further investigations. The HSC results are expected in the second week of June.
Mumbai Mirror reports it has in its possession a candidate's answer sheet for the Bookkeeping and Accountancy paper held on March 6 that should have been part of the top-secreet evaluation process.
Sources say this paper was replaced by the student and his supervisor with another answer sheet, solved outside the examination centre with the help of text books.
When Mumbai Mirror showed the answer sheet to the chairperson of the state board, Vijaysheela Sardesai, she was shocked: “In all my years in the service, I have never seen anything so shocking,” she said. Sardesai has now ordered an immediate, high-level inquiry into the matter.
The answer sheet in Mumbai Mirror's possession has the student's roll number and signature, the supervising examiner's signature, the identification number of the exam centre, and has been verified as completely authentic by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE).
A bar code pasted on it in the examination hall, however, has been pulled out.
This paper should have gone from the examination centre to the state board's custody centre, where a Unique Identification (UID) code would have been pasted on it. From there, it should've been shipped to examiners for checking.
“For a written answer sheet to be outside the evaluation process is a very serious offence and matter of grave concern. This paper is board property, and no one should be able procure it anywhere,” MSBSHSE secretary Vijaysheela Sardesai said.
“We have appointed a committee that will identify the student, check his handwriting, and talk to examiners. We will also question the supervisor and the chief of that particular centre. We don't want to jump to any conclusions, but every possibility will be investigated. If there is a cheating racket, we have to get to the bottom of it,” she added.
Sources say such an organised cheating would not be possible unless the student, the supervisor, and perhaps even the head of the examination centre (whose location we have withheld at the board's request) were in cahoots.
A highly placed source explained the whole process. “Supervisors are given a few extra answer sheets in case any of the papers given out are damaged. After distributing answer sheets to students in the exam hall, a supervisor who is part of the racket, hands over these extra sheets to an outsider to write the correct answers with the help of text books, notes, and in some cases, even teachers.
“The student, meanwhile, starts writing on the answer sheet given to him at the centre, and ensures that the bar code is pasted loosely on it.
“Finally, when the completed answer sheets come back to the supervisor, he removes the bar code from the paper written inside the centre and pastes it on the one solved outside. This paper is then sent for evaluation, while the original sheet is destroyed”.
Shiridhar Salunkhe, chairman of the Mumbai Division Board, confirmed the answer sheet belonged to his division. “Only our answer sheets have the kind of thread stitching we see in this paper,” he said.
Salunkhe revealed there had been doubts that cheating of such nature may be taking place, but there were no real leads until now.
“Since this sheet does not have the UID code pasted in the custody centre, this malpractice happened where the students sit for the exam. When I had taken over as board chairman, there were hints of such a racket. I even put a dummy student to try and crack it, but could not succeed. Now, my doubts are confirmed,” Salunkhe said.
Conceding the board's request, Mumbai Mirror has handed over the answer sheet to the board for further investigations. The HSC results are expected in the second week of June.