Reeling under the question paper leakage that has hit the State Government like a thousand bricks, the Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE) on Sunday put up a brave face saying that examination henceforth will be tamper-proof.
“We have taken sufficient security measures to thwart any attempt to disrupt the examination,” CHSE Chairman G S Ray said and claimed that there are forces which are constantly trying to disrupt the examination and mislead the students.
Even as the Crime Branch of State Police tries to unearth the leakage of physics question paper, the CHSE said attempts are being made to mislead the students through circulation of fake question papers.
“Barring physics, there has not been any leakage, but there is a constant rumour that questions are being leaked. Even the chemistry paper was not leaked, but we res-scheduled the examination following the breach found in the seal in Mahaling Anchalika Mahavidyalaya,” a CHSE insider said.
Such is the question pattern these days that it is easy for any experienced teacher to come up with a set that will have some common questions, the council sources said, pointing at the selective leakage of questions.
Since the private self-financing colleges are at war to take top slots in the results that will rake in moolah, such tactics are being used, he added.
“Anyone can come up with a set of fake question papers and announce a leakage which clouds the minds of the students and the whole process goes awry,” the sources added.
The Crime Branch, on its part, tried to make the most of the evidence available to get off the block. Its team scanned the strong room of the CHSE on Sunday and made an inventory of the question papers, their destination, including the whole process of despatch.
So porous is the system of question paper printing and desptach that tracking down the source of the leakage was proving to be a tough task, the CB sources pointed out.
There are centres where the question papers have been stored for over 10 to 12 days leaving them vulnerable to theft and tampering.
“The vehicles used for transport are owned by private persons and antecedents of the drivers and staff are not verified. Same goes for those appointed as centre superintendents,” said an investigating agency official. Bijay Kumar Jena, the centre superintendent of Mahaling Anchalika Mahavidyalaya, was a lecturer at Kesinga College and the CHSE had no knowledge about his antecedent.
Sources added that the college, which now faces permanent de-affiliation, was allegedly given a centre status only days before the last date.
Last year, its students had appeared for the examination at Golamunda College.