Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Updated

Bengaluru, Mar 31: Hours after the question paper of second PU Chemistry re-exam leaked, minister of primary and second education Kimmane Ratnakar issued an order suspending 40 officials and personnel with immediate effect.

Ratnakar also announced that the Chemistry re-exam would now be held on April 12.

Amidst demands for his own resignation, the minister in his order stated that 40 officials and personnel of the pre-university department will be suspended with immediate effect and that investigation into the repeated leak of the paper would be done on a war-footing. The DGP of CID which is investigating the case has been asked to probe the matter without delay and identify those responsible for the leak, the minister said.

Also, a new three-member team of observors led by Dr P C Jaffer, state project director of Sarva Shikashana Abhiyana, will be formed, with former chief of PU department Ramegowda as the incharge, to ensure that the re-exam on April 12 goes on smoothly.

The officials placed under suspension include joint director of PU department K N Ranganath, deputy director Ravindra Konnur, several assistant directors, superintendents and other personnel.

As the issue rocked the Assembly, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Kimmane Ratnakar announced the government's decision in the House, amidst protest by BJP members who demanded his resignation.

As the House met for the day, BJP members raised the issue and demanded Education Minister's resignation. Hitting out at the government and the minister, Opposition leader Jagadish Shettar said, "Is this government alive or dead?" and accused the government of being "irresponsible" and playing with the lives of young students.

"Are you aware of the pain and worry the students and their parents are undergoing?" Shettar said, adding "there is no other go; Kimmane Ratnakar has to take responsibility and resign." CID has to be given a free hand to investigate and strict action should be taken against those responsible, he said. Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa also expressed displeasure about the paper leak.

JDS Leader Y S V Datta expressed surprise over the leak for the second time, that too when the CID was probing earlier paper leak. He said second PUC is a crucial year in a student's life as it is the basis on which they choose their professional courses.

Other BJP leaders like Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri and Suresh Kumar also held the PU department responsible and demanded Ratnakar's resignation. In his reply, Ratnakar said about 1,75,000 students appeared for the Chemistry paper and "as we got to know about the question paper leak, we decided to cancel the exam this morning."

He said the CID has been asked to probe the matter and the Principal Secretary of the Education Department told to take action against those officials responsible.

Not happy with the Minister's reply, BJP MLA's trooped into the Well of the House and demanded Ratnakar's resignation, following which the Speaker adjourned the House and called for a meeting of floor leaders. As the House resumed, BJP members demanded that the Chief Minister give a statement and Ratnakar resign.

Amidst sloganeering, the Speaker directed the Minister to make his statement.After Ratnakar's statement, the Speaker asked the Ministers and Heads of Committees to lay the papers and reports mentioned against their name. Even as BJP members continued with their demand that the minister's resignation has to be announced, the Speaker adjourned the House sine die.

Earlier in the day, violence broke out in front of the Department of Pre-University Education (DPUE) building as a section of agitated students started pelting stones, damaging glass windows, police said.

According to police, the paper leak took place in two different locations in the state.

Amid a surcharged atmosphere in front of the DPUE building, a parent went upto the terrace and threatened to jump, saying there are no officials present to listen to their plight. But he was persuaded against doing so and brought down.

Another student fainted during the protest and was shifted to hospital, police said.

The issue also rocked the Assembly, where Opposition BJP members staged a dharna and raised slogans, demanding the resignation of Primary and Secondary Education Minister Kimmane Ratnakar.

"The CID is investigating the matter and the government is very serious about it. They are finding out who the culprits are - whether they are insiders or outsiders," Home Minister G Parameshawara told reporters.

He said the matter is serious as it concerns the future of lakhs of students and added that once the CID submits its report, government would not only take action against the guilty, but also take precautionary measures to avoid such things from happening.

With PTI Inputs

Earlier Update

PU paper leak - Students demand resignation of minister Ratnakar

Pics: Spoorthi Ullal/Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru/Udupi (DV/UM)

Mangaluru/Udupi, Mar 31: With the chemistry exam paper of second PU leaking for the second time, angry students and parents on Thursday March 31 gathered in front of the office of joint director of PU education department at Car Street, Mangaluru and held a protest. 

The students, who protested under the banner of ABVP, demanded the resignation of education minister Kimmane Ratnakar and closure of PU board.

Speaking to daijiworld, ABVP leader Jayesh said, "The PU students were about to write this exam for a second time, but now the paper has leaked again. This is a stage where students decide their future. CET exams are approaching but PU exam is still not over. The education minister should resign and the PU board should be dissolved."

Chinmaya Bhat, a student, told daijiworld, "This has put the future of students in jeopardy. How many times will students have to answer this paper?"

Parents Thilothama and Sangeeta said, "During elections the politicians promise a lot, but why cannot they even ensure safety for answer papers? This is about the future of scores of students. In May there is CET and other exams, and in April there is JEE main and Students have to prepare for them. The PU board should be shut down for such gross irresponsibility."

In Udupi, PU students protested outside MGM College and Vidyodaya Pre-University College. "There have been instances of PU exam paper leak before, but this is the first time that it has happened twice with the same paper. The PU board is responsible for this. We strongly condemn this.

"We have to prepare for other exams like JEE and CET also. Why cannot these officials make proper arrangements and provide security to prevent such leaks? The ministers and elected representatives roam around in AC cars with tight security, but they cannot ensure security of exam papers on which futures of lacs students depend. What is government doing? They sit in AC rooms and say they will conduct re-exam but what about the students who take so much trouble to prepare for exams? They are playing with our lives," the protesting students in Udupi said.

Earlier:

Second PU Chemistry paper leaked again, angry students protest

Bengaluru, Mar 31 (IBN): Several students and their parents have launched protests across Karnataka after class 12 Chemistry papers were leaked once again. The move forced the board to postpone the pre-university course examination for the second time in last 10 days.

Last week, the Chemistry exam was postponed as the papers were leaked and the Board found out about it only after the exams were conducted.

Over 1.4 lakh students have been affected with the development. The students appearing for the common entrance test have been especially affected as their regular examinations are still incomplete.

Angry students and parents are protesting against the board and demanding dismissal of Education Minister K Ratnakar. Some MLAs from the ruling Congress party have also joined the protests. The students also pelted stones at the PU board building in Malleshwaram.

"We are not ready to write this exam at any cost. Our exams are over...let them put whichever date... we are not ready to write it," said one of the students protesting outside the office of the Karnataka education department.

The chemistry exam had been scheduled for today after a student alerted education authorities that the question paper for the March 22 exam had been leaked. After protests by students and parents, the government asked the Criminal Investigation Department or CID to inquire into the leak.

The preliminary inquiry into the first case of paper leak had revealed that it was leaked near an examination centre in a women's college at Ballari, about 330 km from Bengaluru, and at a state-run college at Malur in Kolar district, 50 km.

Around 3.30 am this morning, the CID told the Department of Pre-University Education that the question paper had been leaked again and students should be advised not to come to the exam centres.

The "leak" was detected in two places across the state, the investigation officers have reportedly told the government.

The CID reportedly sent education officials three question papers that were in circulation hours before the exam. One of them matched the question paper.

"This is not a game for them to set a date, give a paper and ask us to write?" questioned a student angrily.

The PUC exams in the state, equivalent to second year intermediate course or 12th class in central schools began on March 11 across the state, with 6.5 lakh students appearing in this academic year.

Meanwhile, primary and secondary education minister Kimmane Ratnakar held the PU board directly responsible for the leak and said that action would be taken against those responsible. "The PU board should take responsibility for this. If director of the PU board (Pallavi Akurathi) could not take the responsibility of ensuring that exams went on smoothly, she should have informed in advance. We will revamp the PU board. I have asked the police to investigate this leak along with the previous one. The new date for re-exam will be announced soon after considering other state and national-level exams," he said.

The opposition BJP has demanded the resignation of Kimmane Ratnakar. Speaking in the Assembly, Jagadish Shettar said that Ratnakar should take moral responsibility for the paper leak and resign from his post. 

Chief minister Siddaramaiah speaking to reporters said that thorough investigation would be conducted and action would be taken against the guilty.

With Inputs from Agencies