Upbraided by the Patna High Court over the failure to curb rampant cheating in the ongoing Bihar matriculation examinations, an embarrassed Nitish Kumar government on Friday got into damage control mode by cancelling exams at four centres. The state government also took seven policemen into custody for dereliction of duty.
CM Nitish Kumar held a meeting with Bihar Education Minister P.K. Shahi and senior officials and directed them to crack down on students who indulge in exam malprctices.
"Use of unfair means in examination centres cannot be tolerated under any circumstances," he said, adding, "Stern action will be taken against the policemen and others for abetting cheating in examinations."
The chief minister said he had taken cognizance of the pictures of cheating at the examination centres despite the presence of policemen. "I have instructed the education minister, director general of police, principal home secretary and principal education secretary that cheating at exam centres will not be tolerated at any cost," he said. Nitish said all the district magistrates and superintendents of police had been given strict instruction to check cheating during the examinations He also asked Education Secretary R.K. Mahajan to hold meeting with the Bihar School Examination Board to take appropriate steps.
The CM, however, said the pictures of the mass copying during matriculation examination did not reflect the true picture of the entire Bihar. "Bihari students are meritorious who make their presence felt across the country and the world with their talents," he said. Nitish Kumar appealed to guardians of the examinees to desist from indulging in unfair means to help their wards. "I have told the guardians, relatives and friends of the candidates that cheating does not help acquire talent. "The future of students cannot be built on the certificates acquired through such means," he said.
Education Secretary R.K. Mahajan later said the examination at four centres - two in Vaishali and one each in Saharsa and Nawada district - had been cancelled. "We will cancel the examinations at the centres wherever mass copying is reported," he said.
The centres where the examinations have been cancelled include Vidya Niketan and St. Francis School in Mahnar block of Vaishali district and government high schools at Simri in Saharsa and Nawada districts
