PU leak: SC stays HC order, cites Vyapam

24.02.2021 

Staying a Karnataka high court order discharging a bureaucrat, Oblaraju, in a case related to alleged procurement of PU question paper for his son in 2016, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said leaks and mass cheating have “distorted and perverted” the exam system, reports Dhananjay Mahapatra.

Even before Karnataka’s counsel VN Raghupathy began his argument, a bench of CJI SA Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian remarked, “These people are ruining the education system.” The court drew a parallel, recalling the huge scam in MP Professional Examination Board (kno- wn by its Hindi acronym ‘Vyapam’), which was unearthed in 2011.

Education system getting distorted, perverted: SC

It involved 13 different exams conducted by Vyapam for selection of medical students and state government employees.

Leak of the question paper had resulted in cancellation of the chemistry exam. The re-test too had to be cancelled as the same modus operandi was allegedly used by the accused, including physical education teachers in various schools, in collusion with the bureaucrat.

The CJI-led bench said, “We know of the Vyapam case in Madhya Pradesh. What happened there? The education system is getting distorted and perverted.” It issued notice to the accused in the Karnataka case and stayed the HC order discharging them.

In 2016, the SC ordered a CBI probe into the Vyapam scam, which involved legislators, bureaucrats and businessmen and it was alleged that bribes were paid for securing high ranks in recruitment exams to get government jobs and seats in medical colleges.

Indicating no leniency to those who pollute the examination system at the cost of meritorious students, the bench said, “We want to send a message.”