CBSE to consider encrypted exam papers for Class 10, 12 from 2019 to prevent leaks

After facing a major embarrassment earlier this year when class XII economics and class X mathematics question papers were leaked in March, the board is now considering alternatives to stem exam paper leaks.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is considering to make use of encrypted question papers for Class X and XII examinations from next year. (PTI)

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is considering to make use of encrypted question papers for Class X and XII examinations from next year. After facing a major embarrassment earlier this year when class XII economics and class X mathematics question papers were leaked in March, the board is now considering alternatives to stem exam paper leaks. The board is planning to pass the task of printing the papers to schools for the 2019 Board exams. Under the encrypted system, each examination centre will be provided with login details. The question paper then will be printed in the school itself. Later, the photocopy of the question paper will be distributed among the examinees. Till now, the question papers were printed and then kept at the banks. An hour before the examination, a centre superintendent, who is usually the principal of the school, takes the papers to the centre. The Indian Express quoted CBSE secretary Anurag Tripathi as saying that they used the encrypted system as a pilot projec for the class X compartment exam and there was no problem with it. "We realised that the number of (test) centres were fewer — just 32. For the board examinations, we have almost 4,500 exam centres and close to 30 lakh children, so the board is deliberating on providing infrastructure at the examination centres," Tripathi was quoted as saying. He added by saying that the board would also provide a “printed set of question papers in the banks in case of any emergency” like technical glitches.