At least 20 suspects pulled up so far in connection with the Physics question paper leak scam of the Class XII board examinations conducted by the Council of Higher Secondary Examination, Manipur (COHSEM). Efficiency written all over the fast crackdown on the question paper leakage scam and this is encouraging. However it should be very clear to the Chief Minister, the Education Minister and COHSEM that arresting suspects and those behind the scam cannot exactly be called delivering justice. One has to think about the plight of the young students who burnt the midnight oil to crack/score good marks in the just concluded Class XII examination, for remember this is one of the most important examinations in the career of a student. This observation gains significance in the light of the decision adopted by COHSEM not to go in for a re-examination of the said paper. COHSEM may have its reasons but the manner in which it went about trying to justify the decision not to conduct a re-examination needs a minute review. More than apparent that COHSEM is banking on the explanation that the leakage of the question paper was detected only after the exam process had started and seals of question sets were broken only at the exam centres. This argument thus rest on the premise that the question paper leaked after the examination process had started and seals of the question papers were broken at the exam centres and therefore a re-examination is not needed.
This line of thought or line of justifying the stand not to conduct a re-examination will not cut ice with The Sangai Express. How can a question paper leak after the examination process has started is the natural question that follows. If this is the case then why has COHSEM fallen in line with the argument that the Physics question got leaked ? And why have suspects been pulled up then ? It is good to hear the numerous steps taken up by COHSEM to prevent question paper leakage and is it on the basis of the preventive steps taken up that COHSEM is arguing that the question paper got leaked only a little time ahead of the examination ? Isn’t there the remote possibility that the said question paper may have got leaked hours before the said exam, say from other districts where the question papers are transported and kept at the strong rooms or treasury two or three days before the scheduled exam ? Has this possibility been explored and addressed to ? There is obviously no joy in conducting a re-examination because the question paper has leaked, but to ensure that all the students are provided a level playing field, COHSEM need to review their decision that a re-examination will not be held. It will be good for COHSEM not to forget that a drop of poison will poison the whole glass of milk and the best recourse would be to refill the glass with fresh milk.
Source: The Sangai Express
