Board examinations for Classes X and XII have always been a source of mental stress for Indian students. March is typically the culmination of a year of stress and drama.
But this year, prolonging the stress, the Class XII Economics paper, and the Class X Mathematics paper were leaked, and re-exams were declared.
Since news of the leak broke, people have been debating about whether the CBSE is at fault or not. “It’s not completely the CBSE’s fault. There was a particular group who was responsible for the leak, but ultimately, it is the CBSE’s duty to keep the question papers secure,” says Yashvardhan Gupta, Class X, Bhatnagar International School.
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In the same vein, Dr. L.K. Jain, Principal of Shail Global School, says, “In this case, the CBSE cannot be completely blamed. But yes, overall they are responsible. They should know that there is a huge number of examination centres and such lapses can occur anywhere. It was waiting to happen, and they should have pro-actively devised fool proof systems, to lower the chances of such lapses.”
Assigning blame aside, the major concern that students and teachers have is that students will have to re-take the exams. This will not only lead to addition of mental stress, but will also lead to a delay in results, thus delaying college admissions.
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An angered student, Vanshika Mohindroo says, “If the CBSE was really that concerned, why didn’t they change the paper a night before, or cancel it when they got the news that the paper might have leaked.”
Some people argue that students should not have problems with the re-examination as they are already prepared. But as Dr. Jain explains, “Students have already prepared for the exams and re-appearing should not bother them. But it does bother those students who feel that they have already done very well, but due to many reasons they may not be able to perform in the same manner. They feel scared.”
Students are now demanding more transparency, and foolproof plans for the future. “A tamper-proof process for delivery, opening and distribution of question papers is required to be implemented. Centre superintendents, examination centre in-charges, and others involved should adhere strictly to the rules, with legal implications for non-adherence. Most importantly, the CBSE should use appropriate technology for this purpose. They should also have educationists in important positions in the organisation rather than administrators. Today, CBSE functions like a normal government office, but it has a much more important role than that,” says Dr. Jain.