The state secondary education board barred three Madhyamik examinees from writing this year’s papers on the first day of the Class X boards on Monday.
One of them had her elder sister write the first language paper on her behalf and the other two entered the test venues with electronic devices that could be used to cheat, said an official of the West Bengal Secondary Education Board, which conducts the exams.
On Monday, 9.8 lakh students wrote their first language papers across the state. The Madhyamik theory papers will continue till February 22.
The board lodged complaints with Bidhannagar East police station against unknown individuals who allegedly circulated fake questions on a social networking site.
A board official said an examinee in Garalgachha in Hooghly has been barred from Madhyamik 2025 as her elder sister came to write the first language paper on her behalf.
Invigilators detected the impersonation while matching the examinee’s picture on the admit card with the person who turned up to write the paper.
“The girl who came to write the paper was questioned. It emerged that she was the elder sister of the examinee,” said the board official.
In Howrah’s Bally, a candidate entered the examination venue with a smartwatch. In north Bengal’s Alipurduar, a student entered the venue with a phone.
The board has banned both devices at exam venues as they could be used to cheat.
The board, which had last year cancelled the papers of as many as 41 candidates, said in a notice issued on February 7 that all invigilators must ensure strict compliance with the directive “prohibiting examinees from possessing mobile phones, smartwatches, Bluetooth devices or any electronic gadgets inside the examination hall”.
The invigilators were told to caution candidates that if any device was found on them, their papers would be cancelled and other “further disciplinary/legal action may follow under relevant laws”.
“The three examinees have been barred from writing this year’s Madhyamik,” secondary education board president Ramanuj Ganguly said.
A board official said the invigilators had been instructed to make a clear announcement before the start of each day’s test directing all candidates to deposit the electronic devices in their possession.
The board president said two complaints had been filed at Bidhannagar East police station after they came to know that questions were circulated on Instagram after the start of Monday’s exam.
“The cyber crime cell of the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate is conducting an investigation,” he said.
In one of the complaints, the board said questions from a test paper were circulated to create the impression that first-language questions had been leaked.
In the other complaint, the board said last year’s Madhyamik questions were circulated.
“The cyber crime cell of Kolkata Police is assisting the Bidhannagar commissionerate in its probe,” said a board official.
Top cop’s greetings
Kolkata Police commissioner Manoj Verma greeted Madhyamik examinees outside several exams centres on Monday morning.
“I was tensed during my first big examination. It is obvious they (students) are also tense. That’s normal. There is nothing to worry. Kolkata Police are there if any help is required,” he said.
The police have issued a helpline number 9432610039 for Madhyamik examinees.