CBSE Class 12 accountancy paper leaked: Purported copies of the paper were also doing the rounds on WhatsApp on Thursday morning. (Representational image) CBSE Class 12 accountancy paper leaked: Purported copies of the paper were also doing the rounds on WhatsApp on Thursday morning. (Representational image)

DELHI EDUCATION Minister Manish Sisodia claimed Thursday that the Accountancy question paper for the ongoing Class XII exams had been leaked, and asked his department to launch a probe and lodge a complaint with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). The CBSE, however, denied any leak for the exam held Thursday but said it would file an FIR in the case.

“There has been no leakage of the question paper. All the seals have been found intact at the exam centres. During the process of examination, however, at the local level, some miscreants have tried to play mischief by circulating messages through WhatsApp and other social media to disturb the sanctity of examinations,” it said in a statement.

Earlier, speaking to The Indian Express while the exam was underway, Sisodia said he had received complaints of the question paper being leaked on WhatsApp.

“I have asked the director and secretary of the education department to look into the allegations and inform the CBSE,” said Sisodia, adding that he received information from several people but not any formal complaint.

Read | Students angry, disappointed after paper leak reports

Taking to Twitter on the issue, Sisodia wrote: “Received complaints about the class 12 CBSE accountancy paper being leaked. Swift action must be taken, so that hard working students don’t suffer due to negligence of CBSE.”

In another Tweet, he wrote: “CBSE is one of the most reputed organisations. I am sure they will take swift action and try to find out how the (question) paper reached WhatsApp right before the exam.”

Received complaints about the Class 12 CBSE Accountancy paper being leaked. Have asked officers of Directorate of Education to investigate and lodge a complaint with CBSE.

Swift action must be taken, so that hard-working students don't suffer due to negligence of CBSE. — Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) March 15, 2018

Among those who sent purported images of the leaked question paper to Sisodia through WhatsApp was a teacher at a Delhi-based private coaching institute, who sent them to The Indian Express, too.

On comparison with the original after the exam got over, it was found that the questions in the allegedly leaked paper matched those under Accountancy Set-II.

CBSE spokesperson, Rama Sharma, maintained that the paper had not been leaked. “The paper is arranged for distribution in all rooms and before that, they are in a control room where phones are not allowed. We are saying that till the paper was distributed, there was no leak,” she said.

CBSE chairperson, Anita Karwal, did not respond to calls or messages from The Indian Express seeking comment.

A total of 250,736 students are appearing for the Class XII board exams this year but the number listed for the Accountancy paper has not been released. Last year, 3,04,206 students appeared for the subject, which is mandatory for Commerce students.

With the CBSE based in Delhi, the region gets a different question paper as compared to the rest of the country due to security reasons.

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