CBSE question paper leaks: Here are the major developments so far

Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar yesterday said that the CBSE was likely to announce on Monday or Tuesday the re-examination dates for the Class 10 Mathematics and the Class 12 Economics papers which were leaked earlier this week.

READ HERE | Journey of CBSE question papers: Here's all you need to know

Meanwhile, affected students on Friday continued their protests outside the CBSE office in Delhi. The Delhi Police is currently interrogating 30  people (students and teachers of private coaching centres) and a private tutor from a Rajinder Nagar coaching centre over the question paper leaks. However, no arrests have been made so far, according to the police. The paper leaks are so far confined to the New Delhi region, but have suffered the wrath of CBSE students across the country.

HERE ARE ALL THE DEVELOPMENTS SO FAR

March 30

• The Delhi Police's Crime Branch on Friday sought a reply from Google about an e-mail that was sent to the CBSE chairperson Anita Karwal in connection with the paper leak case. An e-mail was sent to the CBSE chairperson from a Gmail ID with images of handwritten questions papers.

• The crime branch identified over 10 WhatsApp groups, each having 50-60 members in connection with the same.

• Six students were detained by police in Jharkhand on Friday for questioning for their alleged involvement in Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) paper leak case.

• The Delhi Police imposed Section 144 outside Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar's residence on Kushak Road.

• 30 people have been arrested in connection with the paper leaks today Their mobile phones have been seized. Students continue their stir at Jantar Mantar in the national capital.

• Earlier, the CBSE used to send the question papers on the morning of the examination to the schools concerned and a few hours before to the banks at least in Delhi till last year, but the format got changed. "This time, banks received the question paper way in advance and probably schools too. We have asked the CBSE to clarify on that,” a senior Delhi Police official involved in the investigation said.

• The Central Board of Secondary Education examination paper leak could become bigger with top functionaries of the Union human resources development ministry and the board on Thursday conceding that question papers of Class XII Biology and Accountancy could have been leaked as well.

READ HERE | System needs retest not us: CBSE Students hold protest at Jantar Mantar over question paper leak

TNIE Editorial: CBSE and its ostrich-like attitude

March 29

• The CBSE also experimented with a new system to deliver question papers to schools. In the new system, for which a “mock drill” was carried out at some examination centres in Delhi — URLs were sent to schools and passwords were given to them to open the question papers at a specified time.

• The Delhi police arrest one Vicky who runs a coaching institute at Sector 8, Rajinder Magar in Delhi.

IN PICS| CBSE exam paper leak: Students protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi

• The office of the CBSE had received an unaddressed envelope on March 26 (a day before the Class 10 Maths exam) containing four sheets of handwritten answers of the Class 12 Economics paper, the Board said in its complaint to the Delhi Police. They received a complaint by fax on March 23 from an "unknown source" that a man running a coaching institute in Rajinder Nagar was involved in paper leakage. The complaint also named two schools in Rajinder Nagar for their involvement in the alleged leaks. 

READ HERE | Students left dejected as CBSE to re-conduct Class X Maths, Class XII Economics exams

• “I am also a parent and understand the anguish of parents and students totally. I could not sleep (last night). I want to assure you that a foolproof mechanism will be put in place,” Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar he told reporters.

• CBSE chairperson Anita Karwal said that it was in the “interest of fairness that the examinations for two papers had been cancelled.”                                                                             

READ HERE | Move to hold re-exams, a midsummer break’s nightmare, courtesy CBSE

March 28

• Delhi Police begin their probe. "We have received snapshots of the handwritten paper circulated through Whatsapp from the complainant. We are trying to ascertain the source of these messages. Since Whatsapp messages are end-to-end encrypted, we are facing a bit of difficulty in tracing the source," said an official privy to the probe.

• The Delhi Police register two cases. The first case in connection with the leak of economics paper was lodged on March 27 while the case pertaining to mathematics paper was lodged on March 28, following a complaint by the regional director of CBSE.

• A red-faced CBSE announced that examinations for Class X Mathematics and Class XII Economics papers will be re-conducted throughout the country, dates for which will be announced within a week. “Board has taken cognisance of certain happenings in the conduct of certain examinations as are being reported. With the view to uphold the sanctity of Board examinations and in the interest of fairness to the students the Board has decided to re-conduct the examinations of the following subjects,” the CBSE said in a notice.

March 26

• Despite concerns over question paper leak, the Class 12 economics examination is held.

• Panic gripped students of class XII following claims on social media that the economics paper was leaked ahead of the exam even as CBSE denied there was any slip-up. It said it was just rumour mongering being done by miscreants to spread panic among students.

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March 15

• Despite CBSE's clarification, a large number of students insist that the board must explain how the questions in the actual paper and leaked paper have matched.

• Reportedly, the matter came to light after Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia received the "leaked" paper just a few minutes before the exam began at 10:30 am. He called up the CBSE head and the education secretary, following which they checked the paper and found out that it matched with the Set-II of Accountancy paper.

• The Central Board of Secondary Education dismissed the allegations of class XII Accountancy paper leak as “mischief” even as the purported copies of the paper had been doing the rounds of WhatsApp and other social media since the evening of March 14th.

• On March 13th, a Delhi based lawyer Tarun Narang wrote to the CBSE after he spotted sealed parcel containing answer sheets of Chemistry paper being transported in Delhi metro when he was commuting from Dwarka Courts Metro to Janakpuri, and raised concerns over safety.