Question paper leak: The price of competition

[1]

Pre–University commissioner, Rashmi V., denied on Thursday that the department didn’t act swiftly enough on the tip-off about the recent question paper leak. “There was no lapse by the department. All procedures were followed perfectly. But unfortunately question papers were leaked. This is for the
first time in the history of the department that this has happened,” she told reporters here, stressing that the government had taken the incident very seriously and ordered a CID investigation into it.

“Once we receive the CID report we will be able to establish where things went wrong and how the question papers were leaked,” she said. Observing that there was strong competition between private PU colleges and coaching centers in some parts of Kolar, Chikkaballapur and surrounding districts, she felt this could have contributed to the question paper leak.

“We have information that in one college, students were allowed to appear for an examination after being given access to the question paper,” she revealed.

Minister for primary and secondary education Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri, on his part, assured that action would taken against those responsible for the question paper leak based on the CID inquiry, but refused to comment on whether the tuition mafia and a few private colleges could be responsible.

‘Biology, chemistry papers leaked too’

Not only were the Mathematics and Physics question papers leaked, but also the Biology and Chemistry, say sources.

While PU department officers refuse to comment, sources say the question paper of the Biology exam held on March 16, was leaked the day before. The three men arrested have reportedly confessed to CCB sleuths that they sold the Biology question paper along with the Mathematics before the examination. Their rate? Rs40,000 per paper.

While the PU department is not going public with the Chemistry question paper leak, it has decided to prepare a fresh one for the examination, sources maintain.

‘Each paper sold for Rs40,000’

Central Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths have arrested two realtors and a hardware businessman for the question paper leaks of the II PUC exams and also recovered two copies of the Physics question paper from them.

While N. Ranjith, 27, is from Banashankari, Sudharshan, 45, is from Hoskote. The hardware businessman, Ashwath Narayan Gowda, 34, is from Kolar. All three reportedly acted as middlemen.

One of the accused, who was arrested on Tuesday, is said to have spilled the beans about the others leading to their arrest. The police are now on the lookout for two real estate agents, Ajay Kumar and Puttaraju alias Naveen, and a lecturer, Sashikala, based on the information from the trio in custody. They sold each question paper for as much as Rs40,000, according to the sleuths, who suspect a larger gang is at work.

“The case is in the preliminary stages and we are still investigating how these men managed to get hold of the question papers,” they add.