Question paper leaks have distorted exam system: SC

Question paper leaks have distorted exam system: SC

Dhananjay.Mahapatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:24.02.2021

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said question paper leaks and mass cheating in examinations had “distorted and perverted” the examination system and stayed a Karnataka high court order discharging a state bureaucrat from a case relating to alleged procurement of Class XII question paper for his son in 2016.

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

Even before Karnataka’s counsel V N Raghupathy began his argument, a bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian asked, “Why should bail be not cancelled? These people are ruining the education system.” The SC recalled the huge scam in Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (popularly known by its Hindi acronym ‘Vyapam’), which was unearthed in 2011. It involved 13 different exams conducted by Vyapam for selection of medical students and state government employees. 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 from the case.

Times View

Maintaining fairness is a fundamental requirement of any examination. An alleged abuse of the system by a senior bureaucrat has rightly prompted a serious view from the apex court. We all know that power comes with responsibility. When those in positions of authority are the ones violating the rules, the violation must be viewed even more seriously.