West Bengal Govt Orders Ban On Internet Services In Various District During Madhyamik Exams To Prevent Paper Leak

From Monday, around 11.2 lakh Madhyamik examinees will appear in their offline examinations across 4,194 centres across the state. I

 West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) Madhyamik exams are scheduled to start from Monday (Representative Image)

India.Com | Edited by Sanstuti Nath | March 6, 2022 | Kolkata : To prevent suspected unlawful activities during the Madhyamik examinations, and to stop question paper leaks on WhatsApp, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government on Sunday said mobile internet and broadband services will be temporarily suspended in the few blocks of Malda, Murshidabad, Uttar Dinajpur, Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri, Birbhum and Darjeeling districts between 11 am to 3:15 pm on Monday, March 7, to Wednesday, March 9. The internet services in these areas will also remain suspended on March 11, March 12, and from March 14 to March 16. 

From Monday, around 11.2 lakh Madhyamik examinees will appear in their offline examinations across 4,194 centres across the state. 

“Intelligence reports have been received that Internet transmissions and voice over internet telephony may be used for unlawful activities in certain areas over the next few days…Examination of the information received gives reason to believe that such unlawful activities are likely to occur in the absence of preventive measures,” the order issued by the state government said.

The Trinamool Congress government said that no restriction is being imposed on voice calls and SMS and on newspapers, hence “communication and dissemination of knowledge and informatiori is not stopped in any way.”

“Any data related message or class of messages to or from any person or class of persons relating to any particular subject, brought for transmission by or transmitted or received by any telegraph within the ambit of the India Telegraph Act, 1885, shall temporarily not be transmitted in the interest of maintaining public order and preventing incitement to the commission of any offence within the jurisdiction of the Block/Police Stations listed in the Annexure,” the order added.