Assam HSLC paper leak: General Science exam date moved to March 30, MIL papers on April 1

The Education Department of Assam has rescheduled the exam dates for Class 10 General Science Question paper and all Modern Indian Language (MIL) subjects including English after question papers of General Science and Assamese language were found to be leaked.

MIL examinations on April 1

In a circular published on Friday (March 17), the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA) said that it has rescheduled the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) exams of all MIL subjects including English to April 1.

The HSLC exams for all MIL subjects were earlier scheduled to be held on March 18.

SEBA has rescheduled the exam of all MIL/English (IL) subjects on 1st April. Earlier, it was scheduled to be held on 18 March: Assam Education minister Ranoj Pegu pic.twitter.com/3wfMI0xORb

— ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2023

In Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong, and Dima Hasao districts, students study English instead of MIL Assamese. In addition to Assamese, the other MIL subjects are Bengali, Bodo, Hindi, Manipuri, Hmar, Nepali, Mizo, Khasi, Garo, Karbi and Urdu.

HSLC examination for the General Science paper, scheduled for Monday (March 14) was cancelled after the paper was leaked on Sunday. According to SEBA, the exam has been rescheduled for March 30.

 Entire exam system to be rectified: Minister  

Expressing concern over the issue, Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu on Friday (March 17) asserted that the entire examination system would be analyzed and rectified.

Admitting that there were lapses in the system, he said SEBA had to figure out where the problems were and take corrective measures.

“We have to rectify it together,” Pegu told reporters in Guwahati.

Pegu told reporters that all MIL subject papers, including English, which were to be held on Saturday, were cancelled as a precautionary step, as one of the accused revealed about leaking the Assamese question paper.

Also read: Assam: Hunt on for ‘miscreants’ who leaked Class 10 board question paper

School head teacher suspected to be the mastermind

The CID is investigating the case and among those arrested are several students. A school head teacher, who has also been apprehended, is suspected to be the mastermind.

Meanwhile, reacting to the latest report of paper leak, the opposition Congress said the episode had brought the entire matric examination process under the scanner.

“Not only Assamese, every paper of HSLC exam seems to be under scanner. CM @himantabiswa, Education Minister @ranojpeguassam must be ashamed of themselves, take responsibility for this fiasco & resign. Horrific how @BJP4Assam Govt can play with the lives of lakhs of students,” the party said on Twitter.

Opposition hits out at govt

Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi also hit out at the government, claiming that such problems were bound to happen under a bulldozer regime.

“Shameful that the State Government has been unable to conduct an exam. Education and other crucial aspects of development are bound to suffer under a bulldozer regime,” he tweeted.

“Is it truly a conspiracy to destroy the Assamese vernacular medium?” said the independent legislator Akhil Gogoi.

Protests were staged in front of the Luit Khabalu High School in Majuli, whose headteacher is suspected to be the mastermind in the case. Locals gathered near the school since morning and raised slogans.

Also read: Question paper leak in Arunachal Pradesh: CBI searches 16 locations

CM Himanta accepts govt’s failure

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had on Thursday (March 16) conceded in the Assembly that the general science question paper leak was a “failure” of his government.

“I am sad to inform that one school’s centre in-charge and three other teachers are the main culprits. The matric paper leak should not have happened. It shows our failure. I accept my failure,” Sarma told the House.

(With inputs from agencies)