HS council cracks whip on cheating, disobeying invigilators, heckling teachers, damaging any property of the institution

Representational photo of cheating in  class X examination of another state

TT, Dec 28, 2017, Salt Lake: Candidates of the 2018 Higher Secondary examination caught carrying cellphones, cheating, disobeying invigilators, heckling teachers, damaging any property of the institution or failing to submit the entire set of answer scripts before leaving the exam hall may face cancellation of a particular paper or have their results withheld for an indefinite period.

Till this year, students using unfair means during the examination would be tagged RA (reported against). The malpractice committee of the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education would summon the examinees and give them a chance to defend themselves. The invigilators would recommend a punishment depending on the gravity of offence.

The decision to specify the offences was taken after noticing that incidents of malpractice were being reported from certain institutions every year despite warnings that candidates should not indulge in unfair means during exams.

Cellphones have been banned at exam venues for the past few years. But the HS council has seized several mobiles from students even during the 2017 exam, a council official said.

There have also been instances of examinees beating up invigilators for not allowing them to cheat. In some centres, students have broken doors, windows and furniture when invigilators asked them not to cheat. Several students do not submit the entire set of answer scripts, forcing the council to seek police help to recover the papers.

"A directive listing the malpractices and punishment will soon be sent to the heads of all schools. The schools are expected to tell students how they should behave during the examinations," said the HS council president, Mahua Das. "We have identified six malpractices till now. But we may include more in the directive."

Supervisers at all HS venues will have to report to the council immediately when an examinee commits any malpractice.

Even if the candidate is allowed to write the next exam after a complaint is received, a series of inquiries may be held to probe the allegation that could delay the process of announcement of his/her results, a council official said.

"The inquiries will depend on the nature of the offence. Students will be given a chance to defend themselves. But the complaint will be examined thoroughly. The inquiries may continue for a long time so that the authorities get a clear picture of the complaint. They may stretch even after the publication of results, thus delaying the results of the accused candidates," the council president said.