Embarrassed over revelations that some of the toppers of Bihar Intermediate exams were clueless about the basics of the subjects, the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) has summoned all the five toppers of Arts, Science and Commerce streams to its office on June 3. They will have to appear for an interview and a written test to match their handwriting with that on their original answer sheets, in the presence of experts.
In interviews to a national Hindi news channel two Class 12th toppers from the State, Ruby Kumari (Arts) and Saurabh Shrestha (Science), gave shocking replies, exposing their ignorance of the very subjects they topped in.
Incidentally, both Kumari and Shrestha are students of Vishnu Rai College, Bhagwanpur in Vaishali district. The two scored 89 per cent and 85 per cent marks respectively.
Kumari shocked the interviewer when she said she had studied subjects including “Prodical Science” in which she got 91 marks out of 100. When prodded about this subject, she innocently said, “This
is all about cooking.” Interestingly, her subject was Political Science.
Similarly, the Science topper Shrestha did not even know what electrons and protons were.
Only last year, Bihar’s examination system came under sharp condemnation and scrutiny when an iconic photograph, showing guardians putting their lives at risk by scaling walls of an Class X Board examination centre in a multi-storied building to supply written materials to their wards, was published in almost all newspapers across the world.
Gross irregularities had been reported from Vishnu Rai College last year too. Incidentally, Kumari had passed the Matriculation exam two years ago with second division from the same school.
As this latest interview went viral, the red-faced BSEB and education department authorities traded charges. BSEB Chairman lalkeshwar Prasad Singh said he was sure that no official of the BSEB was involved in the racket.
Education Minister Ashok Choudhary said a high-level enquiry has been ordered and the report will come in ten days. “Whosoever is found involved will be taken to task, whether it is a teacher or officer. They will be dismissed from service,” he asserted and added that if the involvement of the college was proved, its recognition would be cancelled.
BSEB Chairman Singh said while experts on the subjects the five class 12th students have topped in would quiz them, the students would also be required to give a brief written test in order to enable the BSEB to compare their handwriting from the original copies.
Officials suspect that the answer sheets of these toppers might have been changed at a later stage before evaluation. However, Singh said if the copies were changed the responsibility would fall on the District Magistrate concerned and the exam centres.
Singh said he checked the copies of Ruby Kumari and found all answers absolutely right.
Vishnu Rai College principal Amit Kumar said the entire responsibility of conducting the exam was that of the BSEB and the district administration as their officials collect the answer sheets and keep them in a strong room.
“How can I be responsible as the exam centre was not in this college,” he pleaded.
Shail Kumari, principal, GA Inter College, Hajipur which was the examination centre for Vishnu Rai College students said they conducted the exam “very honestly.” She said the whole process was monitored by Vaishali District Magistrate Rachna Patil.