CBSE paper leak: CBSE chief Anita Karwal finally breaks silence, but remains mum on allegations

New Delhi: It took a day-long relentless media campaign to bring the CBSE chairwoman Anita Karwal – known for her proximity to the PM — out of the closet and acknowledge that lakhs of children will have to go through yet again the rigours of a re-examination in two papers, at least.

But Karwal had no comments to offer on the allegation cited in the FIR that the board was aware of the paper leak two days before the exam took place. In fact, the police too had received a call in the control room on the same day about the alleged paper leak. The CBSE chief ‘broke her silence even as outraged students in Delhi held a protest, demanding a re-examination in all papers. They say besides math and economics, many other papers were leaked before the exams.

Also Read: CBSE paper leak: CBSE receives complaint by fax revealing identity of person behind paper leak

While Karwal merely said that they ‘’are working for the children,’’ Union minister Parakash Javadekar came out with equally hollow words, saying that “I also could not sleep. I am also a parent.” The board had been overlooking complaints for days that question papers were being leaked. The FIR shows it received a fax on March 23, two days before the economics exam. They informed the police the next day, but the exam was not called off. A case was filed on March 27, a day after the exam.

 For ‘public consumption,’ the owner of a coaching centre, 18 students and five tutors were called in for questioning, but no arrests have taken place. Even though the police have recovered snapshots of the handwritten question papers, which were being circulated on WhatsApp, from him. They are trying to trace the source of the WhatsApp messages now, but are facing problems because of the end-to-end encryption.

The investigation is now looking at an education mafia, possibly involving CBSE officials, invigilators and school staff, coaching centres and publishers. But officers investigating the case said they are yet to question anyone from the CBSE or examination centres. The questioning will begin once the source of messages is traced.

Amid massive protests over the paper leaks issue, Congress president Rahul Gandhi targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, going into rhyme, saying “In everything there is leak, the ‘chowkidar’ is weak”. But the BJP, as is customary, responded in zest, saying “Rahul Gandhi is remembering his UPA days.” Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that the party demands that Javadekar and Karwal be sacked and a judicial probe by a high court judge be ordered into the matter. Gandhi again tweeted: “The exam leaks destroy the hopes and futures of millions of students. The Congress  always protected our institutions. This is what happens when institutions are destroyed by the RSS/BJP. Believe me when I say, this is only the beginning.”

“I really feel sorry and sad for the students who have to give their exams again for no fault of theirs. Responsibility should be fixed and strict action should be taken against those responsible,” Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted. Meanwhile, cries of ‘we want justice’ resonated at Jantar Mantar as students gathered there in the morning to protest the re-examination of Class 10 Mathematics and Class 12 Economics papers.