Hajipur, Mar 19 (NDTV): In Bihar towns like Hajipur and Nawada, entire families seem to be setting out for centres where the board examinations are being held.

And then, while students take the exam, their friends or family are clambering over school building walls to pass chits and assist them. None of them even attempt to conceal their actions. And this right under the nose of policemen posted at the centres.

Inspection authorities and policemen at the venues have been unable to prevent the open, large-scale cheating because of the sheer numbers of friends and parents involved in the wall-scaling.

Some observers alleged that policemen are accepting bribes from people wanting to get into the examination halls.

Authorities claim they have debarred about 500 students from taking exams, but that has not deterred others. Neither has the fact that Bihar has an anti-cheating law which includes provisions for lodging a First Information Report and even arresting offenders.

"Can the government alone conduct fair exams without the support of society and parents of students?" asks Bihar's education minister PK Shahi.

These scenes are not new. Last year, more than 200 students were expelled after being caught cheating in the Class 12 board exam. More than a dozen parents who helped their children use unfair means were also arrested. But, 75 per cent of the 13 lakh students who appeared, passed the 10th boards exams.

Dara Singh Chauhan from Nawada had this justification for helping his child cheat: "These government teachers don't teach anything in schools. Most of the times they are absent. That's why we have to resort to such things to help our children."

Cheating-free exams not possible in Bihar: minister

Patna, Mar 19 (IANS): Bihar's exasperated Education Minister P.K. Shahi admitted on Thursday that cheating-free examinations were not possible in the state, minus the cooperation of students' parents.

More than 1.4 million students are appearing in the Class 10 board examination amid widespread reports of mass copying and cheating.

Shahi admitted to the media that holding "free and fair exam" was a big challenge for the Bihar government.

"The government cannot stop cheating in exam," he said. "It is also the responsibility of the society to ensure a cheating-free exam.

"More than the government, the parents and guardians of students should come forward (to end mass cheating)," he said.

The minister expressed the government's helplessness to hold a cheating-free exam.

"It is not possible to fully stop cheating during exams or hold exams where students don't go for unfair means."

Shahi said the situation in Bihar was so bad that at least four to five people helped every student to cheat.

"First, I appeal to parents and guardians to stop cheating to help the government ensure free and fair exams," he said.

In the last three days, more than 600 students, caught cheating in the board examination, have been expelled, an official said on Thursday.

"The students were expelled on charges of adopting unfair means," said Lalkeshwar Prasad, chairman of the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB), which is conducting the examination.

Officials said over 1,000 students were caught cheating in examination in three subjects, including mathematics and English, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

But only a little more than 600 of them were expelled.

Cheating during examinations is rampant in Bihar. Attempts to stop mass copying often triggers violent protests.