WhatsApp circulation of HSC paper leads to arrests in Nagpur, Board rules out re exam

Two individuals have been taken into custody after a Higher Secondary Certificate Chemistry question paper was allegedly shared in a WhatsApp group minutes before the examination in Nagpur.

The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education has clarified that the incident does not constitute a paper leak and said the exam will not be reconducted.

According to investigators, one of the arrested men operates a small tuition center, and the other was part of the messaging group where the image was circulated.

Sadar Police Inspector Amol Deshmukh said, “The arrests were made at 3 am today. Interrogation is ongoing, and further details will emerge. Until we reach the main source, we cannot disclose identities.”

He also highlighted that students have not yet been questioned, as the examination process is still underway. The tuition class is believed to have around 10 to 12 students.

The episode surfaced on Feb 18 at a Mankapur examination center when a female student drew attention after spending nearly 20 minutes in the restroom during the 11 am Chemistry paper. A subsequent check led to the discovery of a mobile phone in her possession, which is strictly prohibited inside the exam hall.

Explaining the sequence of events, center principal Shital Peter said, “On Feb 18, as per routine procedure, girls were checked inside a room and boys outside before entering the exam hall. Everything was normal until about an hour into the exam, when a girl from SFS College, Seminary Hills, whose center was at our college, went to the washroom and did not return for nearly 20 minutes.”

She added, “When she came back, the invigilator found her behavior suspicious and checked her, discovering a mobile phone in her pocket. The conductor, who was on rounds, was called and quietly took her outside along with her writing material and the phone. The girl began crying and claimed she had not cheated, but she was informed that merely carrying a phone into the exam hall is a violation.”

An inspection of the device revealed that an image of the Chemistry paper had been posted in the WhatsApp group between 10.37 am and 10.40 am, shortly before the test commenced.

Investigators further found that the Physics paper conducted on Feb 16 had also been shared in the same group around 10.30 am. About 12 students were members of the chat.

Officials said the student noticed the message during the pre-exam checking process but did not open it. They maintained that she did not gain any advantage, as she was unable to access the phone during the exam.

Another student identified as part of the same group was later questioned, and her device confirmed her inclusion in the chat. The police subsequently assumed charge of the probe.

The student’s parent and guardian were summoned to the center. According to school authorities, the student became distressed and allegedly threatened self-harm. Taking her emotional condition into account, the administration did not immediately initiate a copying case.

Board officials emphasized that the timing of the message circulation indicates the breach occurred after question paper packets were opened at the center level, not earlier in the distribution chain.

MSBSHSE Chairperson Nandkumar Bedse said, “The Board has registered an FIR in connection with the incident, and a police investigation is underway. Strict disciplinary action will be taken against those found responsible, based on the findings of the probe.”

He added, “This is ten minutes after all students are already seated in the exam hall. As a result, it is clear that it has not been of any help to students at large. The timing also suggests that the image was taken after the bundle of question papers was opened, which doesn’t happen before they reach their respective exam centers and are opened only sometime before the scheduled time of the paper, which was 11am for the said paper.”

Bedse clarified that only the questions were found on the student’s phone, not the answers, and said a decision regarding disciplinary action against her is pending. For now, she has been allowed to sit for her remaining examinations.

He also dismissed speculation about the involvement of Board personnel. “While police are investigating the matter, the Board too will conduct an internal inquiry to determine at what stage this breach occurred. And strict action will be taken against those found responsible,” he said, explaining that sealed question paper packets are handled by teachers assigned to exam duties rather than regular Board office staff.

The Board reiterated that the HSC examinations will proceed as scheduled and that there will be no re-examination for Chemistry, as the circulation was confined to a single WhatsApp group with limited participants.

The incident comes amid previous instances in which images of question papers surfaced shortly before exams. In response to such concerns, the Board has changed its protocol.

Question papers are now distributed strictly at the designated start time, 11 am in this case, and students are granted an additional ten minutes at the end of the examination instead of receiving reading time beforehand.