While some students are often found cheating in exams, Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHEB) officials were left surprised when they found 200kg of chits from a single examination centre during the recently-concluded board exams in Gujarat.
Officials found micro-sized photocopies of answers, weighing nearly 200 kgs, from an examination centre in Vanthali town of Junagadh during the class XII science exam in the second week of March.
The chits were packed in 20 sacks, the report said.
The incident came to light during a hearing of an examination committee of the Gujarat Board on Wednesday. The committee has taken a serious view of the case and has decided to summon the exam coordinator of the centre at Swaminarayan Gurukul and the invigilators, the report said.
NC Shah, vice-chairman of the board, said 15 students who were allegedly caught cheating have also been summoned by the Gujarat Board. We will also summon all the supervisors and the centre coordinator on May 31, he said.
Confirming the incident, B S Kella, district education officer (DEO) of Junagadh, said that officials had found roads covered with chits on March 14 as the class X exams were on.
Kella said class 12 science students were warned to get rid of chits or any other copy materials before the exam.
We gave at least three warnings before the Chemistry exam and with every warning, some students submitted their copy materials to board officials, he said.
He added that even after three warnings 15 students were found with chits upon frisking.
“We had filed copy cases against 15 students and started collecting the copy materials which were either submitted by the students or found by the board officials. We ended up collecting 200 kg of chits,” Kella said.