WBBSE Madhyamik Board Exams 2022: Internet services suspended to avoid paper leak amid WB 10th exams

The decision to suspend internet services temporarily amid Madhyamik Board Exams 2022 came from the state government after reports of purported leak of question papers via social media platforms from some exam centres started making rounds within an hour of commencement of exams in 2019 and 2020.

WBBSE Madhyamik Exams 2022: Amid the commencement of WB Class 10 exams from March 7, 2022, the West Bengal government has decided to temporarily shut internet services on the days of WB Class 10 state board examination in some areas of the state to stop cheating. The decision from the state government came after reports of purported leak of question papers via social media platforms from some exam centres in several districts including Malda and Murshidabad started making rounds within an hour of commencement of exams in 2019 and 2020, an official of West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) told PTI.

The WBBSE Madhyamika Exams 2022 is being conducted after two years since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The notice said intelligence reports have been received that internet transmission and voice over internet telephony may be used for "unlawful activities in certain areas over the next few days".

The notice further added, as assessment of the inputs "gives reason to believe that such unlawful activities are likely to occur in the absence of preventive measures", the administration has made the decision, it said.

The notice did not explicitly mention the areas where the internet services will be suspended temporarily. Meanwhile, the order also did not specifically mention 'Madhyamik' examination, the area-specific clamp on the transmission of texts, images and videos will be in force from 11 am to 3:15 pm on March 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16 - the time and dates of the Class 10 board exam. The official said the places will be decided as per requirement. However, phone calls and SMS services will not be curbed anywhere.

According to a source, internet services were suspended on exam days earlier also but it was not announced.

Talking about the suspension of internet services amid Madhyamik Class 10 exams, WBBSE President Kalyanmoy Ganguly told PTI: "The board has no role in this issue. It is purely an administrative decision taken by the state secretariat." Ganguly, however, said no question paper leak had taken place in 2019 and 2020 Madhyamik examinations as the "leaked" papers did not tally with the original ones. An estimated 6,21,931 girls and 4,96,890 boys will appear for the Madhyamik examination this year.

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