Pune City police have launched an investigation into the alleged leak of the Periodic Assessment Test (PAT) question papers after at least three papers of the exam — held between October 10 and 13 — were found uploaded on five different YouTube channels along with their answers. According to police, the probe will not only focus on the YouTube channels where the papers were leaked but will also examine leaks, if any, within the state government entity responsible for the exam, as well as private contractors engaged in the exam’s administration. A Pune-based company was responsible for the printing of the papers while a Mumbai-based cargo company was responsible for the transport of the papers. PAT is an exam conducted by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Maharashtra. It is a standardised assessment in government-run and aided schools with the objective of testing and improving learning outcomes. The test is conducted for three subjects: primary language (Marathi), Mathematics and third language (English). Many videos mentioned in the FIR are still available online on YouTube. Two videos uploaded on October 10 on different channels mentioned in the FIR have amassed over 1.2 lakh views and 90,000 views respectively in the last four days. A senior officer from the Pune City police said, “The SCERT officials had given us a complaint application two days ago. On Monday, we called the officer concerned of assistant director rank and based on the statement given by the officer, an FIR was registered late on Monday. The FIR primarily names five YouTube channels on which the three question papers were uploaded along with the answers. The officer has stated that these question papers on the Youtube channels matched the actual papers, prima facie confirming the leak.” Tanaji Mane, head of the Maharashtra Principals’ Association and principal at Sharadchandra Pawar Prashala and Junior College in Solapur, said, “The PAT papers first arrive in the district, then at the taluka, then at the central school. It is in this distribution chain the papers are getting leaked.” “In addition to this, the schools are not being given enough papers and are being asked to xerox as required. The rules are that one should not xerox, but on the ground we have to xerox as it is not possible to conduct the exams for some kids and not for the others. This gives another opportunity for the paper to leak at the xerox centre,” he added. A L Deshmukh, retired principal of Apte Prashala, said he was against the idea of conducting PAT exams as it is not possible to prevent leaks in an exam of this scale. “It is difficult to control such a huge system. We have the experience with our HSC and SSC board exams and we all know what happens there. But because those exams are conducted on a war-footing with all district collectors and police commissioners involved, we are able to somehow manage those exams. So it is natural that the PAT papers get leaked.” He also said the government should not show a lack of trust in teachers and let them conduct learning outcome assessment exams at their levels. Another officer, who is part of the probe, added, “When we checked the views that these videos of leaked papers have obtained, some of them have got more than one lakh views, suggesting that the links of these videos were circulated on phone messenger or social media platforms.” “We have invoked the Information Technology Act along with the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at University, Board and other specified Examinations Act. Also, the BNS section pertaining to disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servants. Our probe will focus on the persons or entities running these YouTube channels as well as the source of the exam paper leak. We now know that the subject division of SCERT sets the papers with the help of expert teachers. It is then printed by a particular entity and transported to regional centres by another private entity. Both these private entities have been selected via tender process. We will probe the possible leak in not just the government entity but also the private contractors involved in the exam administration. We may take help of cyber experts if required,” the officer added.
