Hearings of students suspected of cheating in this year’s Class 10 and 12 Gujarat Board examinations have been delayed due to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) coming into effect for the Lok Sabha elections.
The exam reforms committee of the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) has not convened its regular meeting due to which the standard procedures like meetings and hearings are on hold.
The GSHSEB has requested permission from the Election Commission to hold a meeting and address cases of cheating. This request was sent over ten days ago, and as of now, they are still awaiting a response. Meanwhile, the Akhil Gujarat State School Management Mahamandal has expressed concerns about the delay in the meeting and its potential impact on result announcements.
A member of GSHSEB stated that there is also a lack of clarity regarding whether the election body’s approval is required for the crucial meeting, which is part of the standard procedure, and whether it falls within the scope of the MCC.
It has been reported that in case of further delay, the board may consider options to either withhold or delay the results of students suspected of cheating. According to a board official, this delay in the meeting will also affect the process of supplementary examinations.
The board’s Examination Committee conducts physical hearings involving suspected candidates, their parents, and examination centre staff. Based on the committee’s decision, the candidate’s result is determined. The hearing process may take two to three weeks depending on the complexity of the cases. These cheating cases include instances detected by flying squads, captured on examination center CCTVs, and identified during the assessment of answer sheets, such as mass cheating incidents.
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