HSC biology MCQ answers announced on loudspeaker in rural Nanded

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Barely 10 minutes before the end of the HSC biology paper exam on Feb 25, members of a flying squad — visiting exam centres to keep a check on malpractices in rural Nanded — heard the answers to the multiple choice questions being announced on a loudspeaker somewhere outside the exam centre. A quick check revealed that the answers were announced on a loudspeaker placed atop a primary health centre of Daheli Tanda village. Though cops on duty rushed to the spot to catch the person aiding mass cheating, they could not located anyone. The incident took place near the Sangeetadevi Umawi residential school, which is serving as an exam centre, at Daheli Tanda in Kinwat taluka. On Feb 25, as many as 155 students were writing their HSC biology paper at the centre.Madhav Salgar, the Nanded zilla parishad education officer (secondary), said a flying squad, led by an IAS officer heading the Integrated Tribal Development Project, visited the exam centre when the use of a loudspeaker to share answers of multiple choice questions (MCQs) was observer."The HSC biology exam was scheduled from 11am to 2.10pm. The use of the loudspeakers was noticed by the squad only around 2pm. Police personnel on duty went to the primary health centre from where the loudspeaker was being operated, but failed to locate anyone," he told TOI on Saturday.Acting on a complaint from the exam centre officials, a case has been registered with the Sindhkhed police under the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at University, Board and Other Specified Examination Act, 1982.As per the FIR, options "2, 3, 4, 4, 1, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3" for multiple choice questions asked in the Biology paper were allegedly announced through the loudspeaker.The education officer said no physical copy of the question paper had gone out of the exam centre. "We cross-checked the number of question papers allotted to the centre and those distributed in actual, along with the balance papers. We found no mismatch. The possible use of any electronic gadget carried clandestinely inside the exam hall to leak the question paper is suspected," Salagar said.When contacted, Sudhkar Telang, the chairman of the Latur division of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE), said further scrutiny of the answer sheets of the candidates appearing for the exam centre in Daheli Tanda village will be carried out. "As per the preliminary information, only the MCQ answers were allegedly shared through a loudspeaker. We will check whether there is any major similarity in answers to objective questions," he told TOI.