In a scene that might make even seasoned exam toppers raise an eyebrow, two learner’s driving licence applicants recently managed to answer 10 questions in just 22 and 27 seconds respectively. The feat, achieved on the government’s Sarathi Parivahan portal (which allots 30 seconds per question), reportedly set off alarm bells at the Regional Transport Office (RTO), prompting a deeper look into what seemed like more than just seemingly special talent that exists in Gujarat.
The suspiciously swift submissions triggered an investigation after a Monday meeting at the Commissioner of Transport’s office. Officials began suspecting that this wasn’t just a one-off incident but part of a broader manipulation of the portal.
A senior officer told a media outlet that field reports had earlier flagged potential loopholes in the Sarathi system. The method? Surprisingly tech-savvy for a licence test. According to officials, the alleged exploit began by logging into the portal and deliberately triggering a 404 error by pasting a specially crafted URL into the browser.
Reports mentioned that this was followed by injecting a JavaScript code via the browser’s developer console—essentially using the test’s own data to spill the beans on every multiple-choice question in real time. One official explained that the script accessed the internal data structures of the exam and revealed all correct answers instantly.
What’s more, this wasn’t a free public service. It has emerged that the mastermind behind the exploit charged Rs 20 per test, allowing middlemen to tack on their own fees. A video demonstrating the method also circulated, turning the trick into a well-shared digital shortcut.
The fraud, officials suspect, wasn’t confined to Gujarat alone. Since the Sarathi portal is used nationally, especially for Hindi-language tests, applicants across various states might have slipped through the digital cracks using the same script.
Transport department principal secretary said he would summon officials from the National Informatics Centre (NIC), which manages the portal’s technical backend, to understand how such a vulnerability was possible in the first place.
Another official mentioned that authorities are now probing whether other safeguards—like the face recognition verification—were also sidestepped once the code was executed.
What began as a case of impressively fast clicking has now turned into a full-blown inquiry into how India’s digitised licensing system may have been gamed.
Also Read: Rs123 Crore Nal Se Jal Scam Rocks Gujarat: Government Officials Booked, Probe Widens https://www.vibesofindia.com/rs123-crore-nal-se-jal-scam-rocks-gujarat-government-officials-booked-probe-widens/
