HRD Ministry constitutes high-level committee to make CBSE exam process 'secure and foolproof'

The committee will submit its report on CBSE exam process by May 31 to the HRD Ministry.

New Delhi: In the aftermath of a controversy over the alleged leak of CBSE Class 10 Maths and Class 12 Economics papers, the Human Resources Development (HRD) Ministry has now constituted a high-powered committee to examine the central education board's examination process.

As per reports, the high-level panel has been mandated to suggest measures to make the CBSE Board exam process "secure and foolproof through the use of technology".

The high-powered committee, which was constituted on Tuesday, includes experts under the chairmanship of former HRD Secretary VS Oberoi. 

The committee will submit its report by May 31 to the HRD Ministry.

The move comes after the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) came under widespread attack after the Maths and Economics question papers got leaked, affecting lakhs of students.

The government has announced a re-examination of the CBSE Class 12 economics paper on April 25. However, it ruled out any re-test for Class 10 mathematics question paper which too was said to have been leaked online.

In a major relief for thousands of students, the Centre on Tuesday said that no re-test for the Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE) Class 10th Maths paper will be held, a week after its question paper was leaked online on March 28.

''This was being done in the paramount interest of students,'' said Anil Swarup, Education Secretary, Government of India. 

''Consequent to the preliminary evaluation of the impact of reportedly leaked CBSE Class 10 Maths paper and keeping in mind the paramount interest of students, CBSE has decided not to conduct re-examination even in the states of Delhi NCR and Haryana. Hence, no re-exam for class 10,'' Anil Swarup was quoted as saying by ANI. 

The statement from the Education Secretary came just ahead of a scheduled hearing in the Supreme Court on various petitions challenging the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) March 28 decision to re-conduct the maths exam for Class 10 after its question paper was leaked.

A bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, had on Monday said that the matter related to CBSE re-test will be taken up on April 4 after it was mentioned for urgent hearing.

Besides challenging the re-conduct of the exam, the petitioners have sought a probe into the leak and declaration of results on the basis of the exams already conducted.

The Centre had on March 30 announced that re-examination will be held for Class 12 Economics paper throughout the country on April 25 while a fresh test for Class 10 Maths paper will be held only in Delhi, NCR and Haryana in July.

Kerala student Rohan Mathew and two others had moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of the CBSE decision to re-conduct the Class 10 mathematics examination.

A student of Choice School in Kochi, Mathew contended that the decision to re-conduct the exam was arbitrary, illegal and violative of the Constitution's Article 14 (equality before law), Article 21 (right to life and liberty) and 21A (right to education).

The alleged of CBSE Board papers triggered concerns among the students and their parents across the country. Delhi Police had registered two cases in this regard and detained several people in connection with their alleged role in the leak of CBSE Board question papers.

Amid an outcry over the incident, Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar assured that the interests of the students would be taken care off.

(With Agency inputs)