CBSE re-exams for Class 12 Economics, Class 10 Maths

New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced on Wednesday that students will have to take Class 10 mathematics and Class 12 economics exams again following shocking reports of paper leak.

The dates for the retest will be announced on the CBSE website within a week, the board said.

In a notice issued on Wednesday, the CBSE said, “Board has taken cognisance of certain happenings in the conduct of certain as are being reported. With a view to uphold the sanctity of the Board examinations and in the interest of fairness of students, the Board has decided to reconduct the examinations.”

Following the CBSE’s announcement, Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar said that an internal probe has been initiated into the leaks and that a new “leak-proof” system would be put in place from Monday. The Delhi police has also registered a case on the alleged leak of Class 12 economics paper following a complaint by CBSE, an official said.

Seeking to reach out to parents and students worried over the alleged incidents of repeated leaks, Mr Javadekar said he has spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and brief him on the developments.

“We will ensure no injustice is caused. I just want to tell the parents and children that it is extremely unfortunate that this incident happened,” he said.

“It seems some kind of gang is behind this and is doing it deliberately. A special team is already probing the matter and the guilty will not spared,” Mr Javadekar told reporters as he faced a barrage of questions about the repeated leaks.

According to a news channel, Prime Minister Modi expressed unhappiness about the leak of Class 10 and 12 CBSE papers.

The economics paper of Class 12 was held on Monday when social media was abuzz with reports of the paper being leaked. The CBSE had, however, then waived aside those claims.

Reports of the question paper being leaked circulated through social media and WhatsApp several hours before the time of the exam. But CBSE said, “We have checked with all examination centres and the paper was not leaked.”

The Class 10 math exam was conducted on Wednesday. The Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has begun investigating the alleged leak of the CBSE’s Class 12 economics paper and registered a separate case in connection with the leak of the Class 10 mathematics paper.

On March 15, the Delhi government had said it had received complaints of the Class 12 CBSE accountancy paper being leaked, a claim denied by CBSE then.

Last Wednesday, Manish Sisodia, Delhi’s education minister, asked CBSE to investigate Class XII accountancy question paper leak after receiving complaints that the paper had been leaked.

“Received complaints of Class 12 CBSE Accountancy paper being leaked. Asked officers of Directorate of Education to investigate&lodge complaint with CBSE. Swift action must be taken, so that hard-working students don’t suffer due to the negligence of CBSE,” Mr Sisodia tweeted.

The paper was reportedly leaked in Rohini and later circulated in the national capital via WhatsApp. The CBSE again denied reports of the alleged leakage of the accountancy paper.

In a statement, the board said that some miscreants tried to play mischief by circulating messages through WhatsApp. “There has been no leakage of the question paper. All the seals have been found intact at all the exam centres. During the process of exam, however, at local level some miscreants have tried to play mischief by circulating messages through WhatsApp and social media to disturb the sanctity of examinations. CBSE has decided to take strict action against such activities. FIR is being lodged by CBSE,” read an official statement.

The CBSE conducts 24 exams annually for 120 million (1.2 crore) students.