T'puram: Days after the question papers of SSLC and Plus One term examination were leaked by a YouTube channel, the authorities have decided to conduct a two-pronged probe into the matter. While a six-member committee led by director of general education Shanavas S will conduct an internal inquiry into the leak of question paper, the crime branch will also conduct a probe based on the complaint lodged by general education minister V Sivankutty to the state police chief.
Sivankutty on Monday said that he held talks with chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and received instructions to take comprehensive steps to pre-empt such tampering in the future. He said the committee would look into all aspects of question paper preparation, storage, and distribution. The committee has been asked to submit its report within a month.
The minister said that the department would take stern action against school teachers moonlighting for private tuition centres for monetary benefits. "In some areas, school teachers spend half of their duty hours in private tuition centres adjacent to their schools. Those who engage in such practices would be brought to book," he said. The minister said that MS Solutions, which allegedly leaked the SSLC and Plus One question papers, broke all limits of decency and, in doing so, wrecked the credibility of examinations and questioned the authority of the education department.
Sivankutty mentioned that the question papers for SSLC and Plus One Christmas examinations were printed in govt-run C-APT and distributed through Block Resource Centres (BRCs). The question papers for mid-term examinations are generally brought to school a few days in advance. SCERT suggested revisions in the manner question papers are prepared. All such aspects would be taken into account, he said.
Besides the DGE, the other members in the probe committee are general education department additional secretary Meenambika, additional DGE Shibu, Pareeksha Bhavan joint commissioner Gireesh Cholayil, higher secondary (academic) joint director Shajida, and deputy director (QIP) Dhanya.
Crime branch chief to head probe
Crime branch chief H Venkatesh will lead the investigation into the leaking of Christmas exam question papers for the Plus One mathematics and Class X English exams. Additionally, Thamarassery DSP has been tasked with probing YouTube channel MS Solutions which leaked the question papers.
Education department sources have expressed concerns about the difficulty in identifying how the question papers were leaked. Many individuals, including teachers, non-teaching staff, and technical workers, are involved in the preparation of these papers, making it challenging to monitor everyone involved. They also pointed out that the processes for preparing, printing, and storing the question papers are not very secure.
KSU had also lodged a complaint against the YouTube channel. The probe team question the channel's owner about their involvement. Due to the serious nature of the allegations, MS Solutions has temporarily suspended its operations.