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Journalism of Courage
On the outskirts of Gujarat’s Godhra, located on the crossroads leading to Dahod and Vadodara, is the multi-storied Jay Jalaram School. Despite being at the centre of an all-India investigation in connection with the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) paper leaks case, it’s just another school day.
This school, along with another one in Padal in Kheda district that’s run by the Jay Jalaram Trust, were designated centres for the NEET-UG examination held on May 5. According to the CBI investigation, the staff of the school, including Principal Purshottam Mahavirprasad Sharma and geography teacher Tushar Rajnikant Bhatt, were to allegedly help candidates fill in their incomplete OMR sheets after the exams, before their plan was foiled by a tip-off.
So far, the Chairman of the Jay Jalaram Education Trust Dixit Patel and the school’s former martial arts teacher Arif Vohra, besides Principal Sharma and the geography teacher Tushar Bhatt, are among the six persons arrested in connection with the case. Twenty-six parents, who allegedly approached the accused for help to get their wards clear the NEET-UG exams, are also being questioned by the CBI.
The campus, which was inaugurated in April 2015 by then Gujarat Education Minister Bhupendra Chudasma, has two schools — one English-medium and the other Gujarati-medium, both of which are affiliated to the state Board, and with different principals and staff. The two schools have a combined strength of nearly 1,000 students, some who travel nearly 60 km from Mahisagar, Panchmahal and Dahod districts to attend the English- and Gujarati-medium schools.
While Purshottam Sharma is the principal of the English-medium school, Ketki Patel is the principal of the Gujarati-medium school. The CBI has also recorded Ketki Patel’s statement.
‘Truth will prevail’
The tension inside the campus is palpable. The staff at the reception is unwelcoming and Kirti Raolingam, who introduced herself as the officiating principal of the English-medium school, conveyed her displeasure at the “intrusion”, while maintaining that “truth will prevail” in the ongoing CBI investigation. While refusing to share any details about the school, Raolingam maintained that the academic sessions at the Gujarati- and English-medium schools had not been affected by the investigations.
A schoolteacher said on condition of anonymity, “The school was not closed for a single day (since the controversy broke). Whatever has happened (Dixit Patel’s arrest) is a matter of investigation.”
A resident of Godhra town, whose child is in Class 11 at the Jay Jalaram English-medium school, said, “In their admission advertisements, the school boasted of how JEE/NEET coaching is included in the academics in school. For commerce students, they claimed to coach children for all competitive exams, including chartered accountancy. That was a big draw for most parents — they did not have to go looking for other coaching classes for their children. Which is why, many people preferred this school even though the fee was high.”
Parents said they pay nearly Rs 1 lakh per annum as fee.
Another Godhra resident, whose two children study at the Jay Jalaram English-medium school, said, “It is one of the top schools in the region where the options are quite limited. This is why students from nearby districts study here, travelling 1.5 hours one way by the school bus.”
When asked about the recent scandal and its impact on students, she said she has no reason to worry, at least not yet. “The school is running as usual. The probe has nothing to do with the regular academic sessions,” she adds.
Connections and functions
In Godhra, Dixit Patel, Chairman of the Jay Jalaram Education Trust, is known for his “connections”, with the school’s functions regularly featuring politicians. The staff at the Parvadi said Patel personally looked after the administration of the two schools — in Parvadi and Padal. Following the success of the two schools, his Trust established the Gujarat government’s Gyan Shakti school of Excellence for tribal girl students in Panchmahal’s Vavdi Khurd village earlier this year.
The Jay Jalaram Education Trust is registered in Wanakbori in Kheda district. According to sources, the CBI is also investigating the involvement of other staff members at the two schools, especially the one in Padal. Before Covid-19, the Trust ran five schools in all, including three at Anand town, Nadiad and Boriavi in Gujarat. Though the schools in Anand town, Nadiad and Boriavi were handed over to other Trusts in 2021, they continue to retain their old names. In 2021, the Parvadi and Padal schools discontinued their CBSE affiliation and shifted to the state Board.
According to the investigation so far, the accused, including principal Purshottam Sharma, allegedly instructed shortlisted candidates to answer only those questions they knew answers to. The remaining questions were to be left unanswered. Immediately after the examination, principal Sharma and geography teacher Bhatt were to fill up the unanswered questions on the OMR sheets and put them into the envelope before sealing it. However, they failed to go ahead with their plan.
A district administration officer said following a tipoff about the possible malpractice, the Panchmahal District Collector dispatched two teams of officers to inspect the Godhra centre. “One of Patel’s acquaintances gave the tip-off to the district administration after a fallout over a student. The student had approached (the accused) for help to clear the entrance test under the same modus operandi. Teams were sent in the nick of time, just before the exam got over. That’s why the accused could not tamper with the OMR sheets before sealing them.”
The FIR, lodged by the Gujarat Police on a complaint by District Education Officer Kiritkumar Patel, states that the attempted malpractice was thwarted as Bhatt had been cornered with Rs 7 lakh in cash, allegedly the fee that was being charged from the candidates for carrying out the malpractice.
