CBSE paper leak: SC to hear plea against re-exam on Apr 4; top developments

There might be more reasons for concern as the police have uncovered the modus operandi that could have been replicated for papers of more subjects during the board exams

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a batch of petitions against the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) decision to re-conduct the mathematics exam for Class 10 students after the question papers the first time were leaked on March 28. A Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra agreed to hear the case for an urgent hearing on Wednesday.

Earlier, the All India Parents Association seeked for a court-monitored probe into the CBSE paper leak through a PIL.

The SC hearing will also consider the petitioners' plea for an investigation into the leaks and declaration of results on the basis of exams already conducted, according to news agency IANS.

Parents of students from Mumbai who attempted the leaked papers were angry at the CBSE for their abrupt change of decisions on the issue, according to to a report by news website DNA. The CBSE had earlier said that Mumbai students might have to take a re-exam too as they suspected a paper leak in the metropolis. In the aftermath, the parents had objected saying that they confident of a fair examination.

However, the central education board on Saturday reached the conclusion that the scope of the CBSE paper leak extended only to Delhi and Haryana, so no re-exams would be held in other states of the country.

Three accused were on Sunday arrested from Delhi's outskirts in connection with the paper leak -- two of them teachers and one the owner of a coaching centre.

There might be more reasons for concern as the police have uncovered the modus operandi that could have been replicated for papers of more subjects during the board exams. The school authorities of Mother Khajani Convent have been questioned and the police are looking for leads, according to a PTI report.

The arrested teachers have been identified as Rishabh and Rohit. They are teachers of mathematics and physics, respectively, at Mother Khazani Convent School at Bawana. The coaching institute owner goes by the name Tauqeer.

A report by The Hindu specified Rs 2,500 as the amount Tauqeer charged from a student for leaking a paper. The police are said to have got a major lead in the case as they have found WhatsApp conversations that contained the leaked papers.

The CBSE academic unit at Rouse Avenue near ITO had on March 26 received some sheets of handwritten answers of economics paper in an envelope without sender's name.

Anil Swarup, the HRD secretary on Sunday tweeted: A wake up call indeed. The interest of school children is paramount. They have suffered on account of someone else's mischief. Strict action will be taken against miscreants. Technology will be used to bring about systemic changes.

Meanwhile, CBSE board exams have been cancelled in Punjab due to the Bharat bandh called for by Dalit organisations on Monday.

The CBSE paper leak of Class 10 maths and Class 12 economics question papers has affected lakhs of students across India.

Here are the top 10 developments around the CBSE paper leak case: