Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday cleared the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA) of involvement in the High School Leaving Certificate question paper leak case.
The SEBA cancelled the Class 10 general science examination nine hours before it was to have been conducted on March 13 after a part of the question paper was leaked on social media. The examination has been rescheduled for March 30.
‘Government’s failure’
Addressing the 60-member Assembly during the ongoing Budget session, Mr. Sarma said that the question paper leak reflected the failure of the government in preventing such acts but insisted that SEBA was not involved in the episode.
He lauded the State police for arresting several people involved in the case. “We will ensure stringent punishment for the accused,” he said.
Three persons, including two teachers, have been arrested, and more than 20 detained in the case so far. Among the detained are seven students.
New child marriage law
Mr. Sarma said that the State government was planning to bring a new law against child marriage while slamming the Opposition for communalising the drive to stop such practices.
“We are trying to bring a new Act against child marriage by 2026 for increasing the jail term of violators from the current two to 10 years,” he said in the Assembly on March 15. Mr. Sarma advised his critics to feel for girls “becoming mothers at 11” and not “cry for criminals”.
‘Not anti-Muslim’
He also rubbished allegations that the government’s drive against child marriage since February 3 was anti-Muslim.
“The ratio of arrests of Muslims to Hindus has been 55:45 thus far,” the Chief Minister said, pointing out that he made the police pick up non-Muslim violators of the Prevention of Child Marriage Act from Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts “because you [Opposition] communalise every single thing”.
“The National Family Health Survey 4 data shows the problem of child marriage is highest in Dhubri and South Salmara, not Dibrugarh and Tinsukia,” he said. Dhubri and South Salmara are Muslim-majority districts.
