New Delhi, Mar 31 (NIE): Hours after students protested outside CBSE office in New Delhi claiming to have the ‘leaked’ Hindi paper, CBSE chairperson Anita Karwal rubbished the rumours on Saturday saying the paper has not leaked. The CBSE chief told The Indian Express that it was the compartment paper of 2017. “This is definitely a mischief. Group of students protesting outside CBSE claim to have it, they are circulating it too”. The Hindi exam is on April 2.

The latest development comes amid the entire hullabaloo around the CBSE paper leak and re-exam announcement, with students all across the country venting their anger through protests and petitions. Moments after the Board announced its decision to hold re-exams for class 12 and 10 economics and mathematics paper, students were shocked and dismayed with the prospect of studying once again for the exams, attending tuitions, paying fees, et al.

The board has announced a re-examination of the class 12 economics paper on April 25, while the re-test for the Class 10 Mathematics paper is likely to be conducted in July. Education Secretary Anil Swarup said on Friday that a preliminary enquiry had revealed that the leak of the Class 10 Mathematics paper was restricted to Delhi and Haryana.

Students hold protest nationwide

Earlier, students from different schools in the Capital held a protest at Jantar Mantar to seek “justice” while Delhi Police said its crime branch has questioned 34 persons, including five coaching centre tutors and students, in connection with the alleged leak. They carried posters with messages such as, “It is not students who need a re-test, it is the system”, “CBSE needs to be held accountable, CBSE fail, no-retest”.

“I did not leak the paper, why am I being held responsible for it?” said Adiba Kaleenir, 15, a Class 10 student of St Thomas School, who took part in the protest.

Today also, a group of students staged a demonstration near the CBSE office at Preet Vihar, Delhi against the leak “The students tried to block the road in front of the CBSE office, but we kept them away. A group of about 25-30 students are protesting outside the CBSE office,” said a senior Delhi Police officer.

Aujaswi Maken, class 10 student and Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken’s son said,”We are really disappointed. The CBSE chairman was aware of the leak of Mathematics paper a day before the examination. They should have cancelled the paper earlier itself. Many of us had plans to go for a vacation, but the plans stand cancelled now”.

Government’s aim is to ensure children’s future not hampered

In a series of tweets, the Union Minister reiterated the statements made by School Education Secretary Anil Swarup and said the aim of the government was to ensure that children’s futures are not hampered. “In the larger interest of academics and students the sensitive government has taken a decision not to have nationwide retest in Maths for class 10th. The test will be held in Delhi, Haryana after final inputs from police and that too if needed it will be held in July,” he tweeted.

An irritated Utkarsh Bharti, a student of Class X at DAV Sector-11, Panchkula, said, “What was the point of all those hours we’ve spent preparing for the exam? We didn’t get the leaked paper nor did we benefit in any way. So, why are we paying the price for CBSE’s negligence?”

In the interest of students of 12th class so that their career is not hampered, their economics retest will happen on April 25. So now no confusion. All the best, Javadekar said in a tweet.

Union Minister, Piyush Goyal expressed his concern and said that because of few people’s fault, everyone has to suffer.

Exam started way before we came to know about the leak: CBSE chairperson

CBSE chairperson Anita Karwal received an email hours before the exam, Karwal has told The Indian Express that they received the information only after the exam started. Asked whether she had prior knowledge of the leak, and why the paper was not cancelled before students took it, she said, “No, we did not know about it a day before. By the time information came to us, exams had started.”

Two cases registered in paper leak incident so far

Two cases have been registered in the paper leak incident so far. The Crime Branch of Delhi Police has questioned nearly 60 people, including students and tutors, in this connection. The police also sent a reminder to Google to share details of the e-mail address from where the chairperson was sent a mail on the class 10 mathematics paper being leaked. Meanwhile, six students were detained in Chatra district of Jharkhand in connection with the leak.

The Delhi Police Crime Branch had sought details of the examination centres, their superintendents and the contacts of banks where the papers were kept for safekeeping and these have been furnished by the board, the official said. “The papers (economics and mathematics) were shared on over 10 WhatsApp groups, comprising 50-60 members. These groups were active in outer Delhi and border areas of Delhi and Haryana. Four numbers that the CBSE had mentioned in their complaint were used to circulate the Class 12 economics paper were traced and through them the police traced these WhatsApp groups and their admins,” the official said.