History seems to be repeating itself after a II Pre-University (PU) paper was leaked on Monday in Raichur, Karnataka. Images of the accountancy question paper appeared on WhatsApp. There was a leak of question paper last year too.
At 12.30pm, exactly two hours after the exam had begun, Deputy Commissioner of Raichur district, Gautham Bagadi, received information that the incident occurred in one of the centres under his jurisdiction.
Sidhana Goud, a part-time faculty member of Kalinga PU College and Kalamath PU College in Raichur, entered the exam centre posing as a flying-squad member and tried to leak the accountancy paper.
At 10.45 am, Goud entered the SRSVS PU College and clicked a photograph of a student's question paper during invigilation. He then sent the image on WhatsApp to Mahesh, Principal of Kalinga PU College. At 11.30 am, Mahesh forwarded the image to Sharana Basappa, the director of the same college.
"The question paper had 18 pages, of which only one page was photographed. We have confirmation that none of the students had received the message," Primary and secondary Education Minister Tanveer Sait told the media. The department of PU education was alerted that a miscreant had clicked photos of only a part of the question paper before circulating it on WhatsApp.
"While Kalinga PU College has lost its recognition, students pursuing I PU there will be relocated to other colleges," added Sait.
The chief superintendent of the examination centre, Vijay Rao, has been suspended and a probe has been ordered. Though the motive behind the leak is not clear, the minister has said that the investigator will probe the larger plans the miscreants had. "We have filed a case under section 26 of the Karnataka Education Act, and sections 120b and 72 of the IPC," said Sait.
According to The Hindu, Goud, Mahesh and Basappa have been arrested.
After the chemistry question paper for the PU board exams was leaked twice last year, the department was paying close attention to prevent such incidents this year.
