Nagpur: The validity of baseline tests conducted for school students across Maharashtra has yet again come under the radar after question papers surfaced on Youtube and WhatsApp a day before the exams.
A Youtube video, which has almost 20,000 views, has the uploader flipping through pages of the Science subject paper of Std VIII. Over three dozen comments on the video link has people asking for more subject papers while some sought a better quality video of the paper. The exams were held this week and are mandatory for all students.
The channel on which the video was uploaded goes by the name “Rockers Rock”. The uploader even replies to some of the comment though he does not post other subject papers. A student who spoke to TOI on condition of anonymity, said, “Many of my classmates had got the question paper on WhatsApp and were well prepared.”
Baseline tests, though mandatory, have no affect on the traditional academic records of students. These tests are conducted by the Maharashtra State Council for Education, Research and Training (MSCERT) and the purpose is to improve the level of students in subjects like language (mainly English) and Maths and Science compared to other states.
For this, apart from regular curriculum and internal exams, the education department found it was necessary to have a uniform test across the state. These tests started from 2015-16 academic session and are conducted thrice a year so that the improvement or decline in learning ability can be tracked. The combined results of the three tests will give the education department a clear idea on how their students have been performing.
Sunil Magar, director of MSCERT, said, “I came to know about the video on Youtube on Saturday and we are looking into it. But you have to understand that our question papers are not confidential as the purpose is more holistic. We want to know if students have understood the concepts or not, and that’s why there is no competitive angle to this.”
