The circulation of the images of the first language (Telugu) question paper of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination on WhatsApp marred the otherwise smooth conduct of the Class 10 examination in Kurnool and Anantapur districts on Wednesday.
Two suspended
As the images of the question paper were circulated at 11 a.m., Kurnool District Education Officer V. Ranga Reddy traced its origin to the Zilla Parishad High School at Ankireddypalli of Kolimigundla mandal in Nandyal district, and suspended the Chief Superintendent of the examination centre (No. 45882) and the invigilator of the room from where it was said to have been circulated.
Director of Government Examinations D. Devananda Reddy, in a statement, said, “The incident cannot be called a ‘leak’ as reported in a few news channels and social media.”
“The examination has started at 9.30 a.m. The incident has taken place at 11.30 a.m. It will be construed as malpractice, as the question paper has gone out of the examination centre as an image captured with a cell phone, which is prohibited,” Mr. Devananda Reddy said.
“All the invigilators should deposit their cell phones with the Chief Superintendent of the examination centre every day, and no student should be allowed with a cell phone into the centre,” he told the Regional Joint Directors and the DEOs of all districts.
Meanwhile, 99.3% of the students appeared for the examination on the first day in Kurnool district and 98.65% in Anantapur district.
Out of 52,119 registered students in Kurnool district, only 505 were absent while the remaining 51,614 appeared for the examination. In Anantapur district, out of 51,182 registered students, 692 were absent.
Six students booked
In Kurnool district, while one student (regular stream) was booked for malpractice, two were booked under the open exam stream. In Anantapur district, three students of the regular stream were booked. They were students of Sri Chaitanya English Medium School, Anantapur; ZP High School Patnam (Kadiri mandal); and ZP High School Obuldevaracheruvu mandal, said DEOs V. Ranga Reddy and K. Samuel.
In Chittoor
Officials of the Education Department in Chittoor district, taken aback on seeing the ‘Composite Telugu’ question paper one-and-a-half hours after the commencement of the SSC examination on WhatsApp, put the invigilators on high alert and did not allow the students to leave the examination hall till 12.30 pm.
District Educational Officer Shriram Purushottam told The Hindu that a complaint was lodged with Superintendent of Police Y. Rishant Reddy as and when he saw the images of the question paper on his WhatsApp.
“Technically, it can’t be called a ‘leak’. It has happened one-and-a-half hours after the commencement of the examination,” he said.
“There is no chance of a paper leak in Chittoor district,” Mr. Purushottam said.
A police officer said that investigation would be taken up as per norms and the culprits would be booked.
“Special teams of cybercrime have been put on alert. The origin of the WhatsApp post on social media will be detected and those responsible will be booked,” he said.
Meanwhile, the attendance on the first day of the examinations was put at 99.18%. Out of the total 52,519 candidates, the absentees were 430.
