At least 12,000 assessment test papers destroyed in fire at Hingoli centre; short-circuit suspected

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: At least 12,000 question papers for the upcoming state-level consolidated assessment tests were destroyed after a fire broke out at the block resource centre of the Aundha Nagnath panchayat samiti in Hingoli district on Wednesday. Preliminary probe pointed to a short-circuit as the possible cause of the blaze.The tests, organised by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), were scheduled for April 11, 15 and 22, covering subjects like mathematics and English. Question papers had been dispatched to districts and were being distributed from districts to talukas and then to examination centres over the last three days, officials said.The incident came to light in the morning when a staff member spotted smoke and alerted block education officer Mohammad Taufiq. A team from Aundha Nagnath police station, led by inspector G S Rahire, visited the premises and carried out a panchanama. "The fire destroyed at least 12,000 question papers meant for the consolidated assessment tests for Stds III to VI," an official confirmed.The official said question papers had already been delivered to seven of the 13 centres in Aundha Nagnath taluka. "The remaining papers, stored at the block resource centre for six centres, were lost in the fire," the official said.District education officer Asavari Kale said a requisition for replacement question papers has been sent to SCERT. "Efforts are underway to ensure students do not face any academic setback and that the examinations are held as per schedule," she added.