CBSE re-exam: Javadekar assures same difficulty level for Class 10 maths, Class 12 economics papers

Union human resource development minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday assured that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will ensure that the difficulty level for the retest of Class 10 mathematics and Class 12 economics paper does not change.

After rumours of both the papers being leaked before the exam on Wednesday, the board cancelled the exam and ordered a retest, evoking sharp reactions from the students, their parents and the academia. The mathematics paper was conducted on Wednesday and the economics exam on Monday. The decision will affect 22 lakh students across the country.

Allaying fears of a breach in the system, Javadekar said that the sanctity of the question papers will be protected with the use of technology across the country from Monday.

“We are deeply saddened by the incident. I want to assure parents and students that they will not have to face any such problem in future. I can understand the ordeals that students and parents must have gone through due to the paper leak,” the minister told reporters during a press conference at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters in Delhi.

The HRD minister also asserted that the difficulty level will be kept the same as earlier students had said that the papers were “easy”.

“They are now worried as to what type of papers and level of difficulty (in the questions) will be set when the board conducts the examination again. There is nothing to worry. It will be the same. There will not be any injustice with any student,” Javadekar said.

Refuting charges against the CBSE, he said it has a solid system in place and conducts 24 exams annually for 1.2 crore students.

“But if someone is leaking it or there is some loophole in it and taking that into consideration, a new system will be put in place from Monday which will ensure there is no such leakage,” he said.

Javadekar also said that the HRD ministry will conduct “an internal inquiry” in the case while Delhi police will continue with its probe separately.

Twitter users went berserk over the retest announcement.

Lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan questioned whether any exam or selection is “scam-proof” in India. Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala attacked the Modi government and said that it should be renamed as ‘Paper Leak Government’.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Javadekar and expressed his displeasure with the board’s failure to maintain the sanctity of the examinations.

“We keep updating our Prime Minister on every important issue. Union Cabinet’s meeting is also scheduled to be held today. From Monday, I believe, there will not be any paper leak as the question papers will be protected with the use of technology,” Javadekar told reporters when asked about his interaction with the PM on the issue.