The Class XII English exam of the Punjab School Education Board, originally planned for February 24, Friday, has been called off due to alleged leaks of the question paper. The cancellation came after Punjab School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains received the reports and gave the order for the exam's immediate cancellation. Bains has also directed a thorough investigation into the matter and promised to take severe action against any individuals found responsible. A new examination date will be announced later, as per a PTI report.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that during the second day of the West Bengal state board exams for class X, a few pages of the English second language question paper were shared on social media. Education Minister Bratya Basu confirmed that the image was circulated on WhatsApp from an exam centre located in Malda district. However, Ramanuj Ganguly, the President of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE), dismissed the incident as a leak, stating that only three out of the 16 pages of the question paper were shared on WhatsApp one and a half hours after the start of the three-hour-long exam at 12 noon. The WBBSE has initiated an investigation into the matter, as per PTI.
Officials have reported previous incidents of purported question paper images for various subjects, such as English and Physical Science, being circulated on social media during the Madhyamik exams in West Bengal. Similar occurrences were recorded between 2017 and 2019. As a result, the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education has implemented measures to ensure the safety of question papers and prevent any leaks, as per a PTI report.
