Heights of cheating, 515 students caught during matric exams in Bihar

Patna: Cheating in the ongoing state Board matriculation exams in Bihar has literally scaled new heights. As shocking visuals of large-scale copying by students emerged where parents and helpers were seen scaling three to four storey exam centres to pass on chits to their wards, 515 students have been caught and expelled in two days.

But the state Education Minister PK Shahi on Thursday had a different take on the episode that occured right under the nose of policemen, saying the government alone cannot ensure 100 per cent cheating-free examinations of this huge magnitude.

Bihar School Examination Board Secretary Sriniwas Tiwari said that a total of 515 students have been expelled after being caught using unfair means in the matriculation exams in the past two days.

While 272 students were rusticated for cheating on the opening day of the exams on March 17 across the state, another 243 met the same fate on March 18, he added.

The Board's Special Examination Cell also said seven parents have been arrested for supplying chits to their wards at Rohtas and Siwan in the past two days.

A total of 14.26 lakh students were appearing for the exams at 1,217 centres in the state. Bihar Education minister PK Shahi admitted that cheating in exams was prevalent, particularly in the rural areas.

"It's not the only responsibility of the state to hold cheating-free examination. This cannot be achieved without help from society particularly parents of the examinees," Shahi told reporters when asked about mass cheating. "Over 14 lakh examinees are appearing in the examination and with each of them, 4-5 persons including parents are going. Is it possible to keep an eye on over 60 to 70 lakh people?" Shahi asked.

He also said that it is not only happening in Bihar. "Any examination of this scale in any part of the country has similar complaints." He appealed to parents to ponder, asking, "Will scoring marks by this way shape the future of their wards?"

Shahi said the state government has asked Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and police chief PK Thakur to further tighten arrangements at examination centres. The images of the mass cheating also went viral on the social media with several prominent personalities including former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah posting the pictures.