The Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) has scrapped the Class X board exams for Hindi and Science after question papers for these subjects were reportedly leaked and shared extensively on social media. The Hindi exam had already been conducted on February 18, and the Science paper was to be held on February 20. After the leak came to light, the council announced that these exams would be scrapped and re-exams would be held later.

In a formal notice, JAC informed that the cancellation was made known to all students, parents, school principals, examination centre superintendents, and other concerned officials. The council admitted that news of the leak had emerged through social media and newspapers, and hence they made this decision. Authorities assured students that new dates for these subjects would be declared in due course.

The Class X (matriculation) and Class XII (intermediate) board exams had begun in Jharkhand on February 11, with tight security arrangements. The exams are being held in two sittings—Class X exams from 9:45 AM to 1 PM in the morning session and Class XII exams from 2 PM to 5:15 PM in the afternoon session. There are more than 7.84 lakh students enrolled for both the exams. Over 4.33 lakh students are writing the Class X exams at 1,297 examination centres, and over 3.50 lakh students are writing the Class XII exams at 789 centres.

The paper leak was initially reported from Koderma, and in view of this, JAC requested a detailed report from the deputy commissioner of the district within 24 hours. School Education and Literacy Department Secretary Uma Shankar Singh said that the next course of action will be determined after this report. Officials have disclosed that the leaked Science question paper was purportedly sold at Rs 350 in a WhatsApp group with over 1,000 members. The discovery has sparked a fear for the purity of the examination process and the magnitude of the leak.

Koderma District Education Officer (DEO) Avinash Ram accepted the leak and confirmed that an investigation is being conducted thoroughly. JAC officials believe the leak could have come from districts Koderma and Giridih. Due to this speculation, the administration at the local level has been asked to conduct further investigations in order to catch the culprits behind the leak.

The leak has caused anger among students, parents, and teachers, who have questioned the safety of the examination system. Students had studied hard for these exams, and the cancellation has left them worried and uncertain. Parents have also questioned how this breach happened with security measures in place. Examination leaks not only disturb the academic calendar but also erode the integrity of the education system. Various stakeholders have called for tougher measures to avoid such incidents in the future.

The authorities are now trying to identify and take stern action against the culprits. The occurrence has also spawned discussions on ensuring security in exams, such as enhancing surveillance within examination centers, more stringent questioning of question paper dispensation, and more stringent penalization of offenders. Involvement of internet platforms for dispensing the leaked papers further increased the dimension to the investigations because tracing their organizers involves specialized cybercrime-detecting processes.

At the same time, students who had given the Hindi exam and were getting ready for the Science exam now have an added burden with the uncertainty of the postponed dates. Although JAC has guaranteed that new exams will be held, the postponement can affect students’ overall preparation and future academic schedules. School administrators have been called upon to counsel and assist affected students so that their morale is not undermined by the sudden alteration in the examination calendar.

This is not the first that board examinations in India have been tainted by question paper leaks. Such cases have occurred in other states in the past, and it raises questions about the efficacy of current security protocols. The increasing use of social media and digital communication systems has facilitated the transmission of leaked papers to a wider circle in no time, making it all the more important that authorities implement strict preventive measures.

To tackle the most recent leak, JAC will likely implement further security measures for the remaining tests. Additional measures like beefed-up security at printing and distribution facilities, better monitoring of testing centres, and severe punishment to malpractitioners may come into effect to avoid future lapses. The council will also cooperate with the law enforcement agency to ensure the perpetrators of this act face justice.

With investigations ongoing, the priority at this point for parents and students alike is the release of new dates for the rescheduled exams. JAC has promised to keep students informed in a timely manner so that they have enough time to prepare. At this point, the priority is to make sure the remainder of the board exams go smoothly without any interruption.