ChatGPT Used To Share Answers With TSPSC Exam Candidates: Report

Investigators are currently focused on determining how the candidates managed to enter the exam hall with electronic devices without being detected at the entrance.

The TSPSC exam paper leak case has unfolded as a complex affair, with the SIT continuously unearthing new findings.

In a significant development related to the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) exam paper leak case, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has discovered evidence suggesting the involvement of an accused individual who allegedly utilised ChatGPT and electronic devices to share answers with candidates participating in at least two government recruitment exams, as reported by IANS. The accused, identified as Poola Ramesh, a Divisional Engineer with Telangana State Northern Power Distribution Company Limited (TSNPDCL), is believed to have sold question papers for the Assistant Engineer (Civil) exam and employed AI technology and electronic devices to assist candidates in the Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) and Divisional Accounts Officer (DAO) exams.

According to the report, citing sources, Ramesh allegedly shared the answers with seven candidates during the exam using electronic devices. This marks the first instance in this high-profile case where the use of ChatGPT and electronic devices has been uncovered. On Monday, the SIT apprehended four individuals, namely Prashanth, Naresh, Mahesh, and Srinivas, who were found to have used electronic devices to facilitate cheating during the exam.

The investigators are currently focused on determining how the candidates managed to enter the exam hall with electronic devices without being detected at the entrance. They are also looking for an examiner suspected of assisting the candidates in gaining access to the exam hall with Bluetooth micro earpieces. This examiner is believed to have taken photos of the question papers and shared them with Ramesh via WhatsApp just ten minutes after the exam commenced.

With these recent arrests, the total number of individuals detained in connection with the case has now reached 49. Ramesh obtained the leaked question paper for the Assistant Engineer (Civil) exam from another accused individual named Poola Ravi Kishore, a junior assistant in the electricity department. Subsequently, Ramesh sold the leaked question paper to approximately 25 candidates at prices ranging from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 30 lakh each. The exam in question took place on March 5.

For the AEE and DAO exams held earlier on January 22 and February 26, respectively, Ramesh employed advanced AI technology and microelectronic devices to aid the aspirants. After receiving the question paper on his mobile device from an examiner at the exam center, Ramesh, along with four accomplices, utilized ChatGPT to obtain correct answers, which were then transmitted to candidates present in the exam hall through Bluetooth earbuds. Allegedly, Ramesh had struck deals with each candidate, charging them between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 30 lakh.

The TSPSC exam paper leak case has unfolded as a complex affair, with the SIT continuously unearthing new findings. The initial revelation of the TSPSC scam occurred on March 13, following a complaint lodged by a concerned individual. The police initially arrested nine individuals, including Praveen Kumar, an assistant section officer at TSPSC, and Rajashekar Reddy, a network administrator at TSPSC. These individuals were accused of stealing question papers from a confidential section of the Commission's computer system and subsequently selling them to other parties.

The subsequent investigation conducted by the SIT led to the arrest of an additional 15 individuals from Mahabubnagar district alone. It was later discovered that the case had connections to Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Nagarkurnool, Khammam, and Nalgonda districts.

The exam paper leak case caused a stir in Telangana, with opposition parties such as Congress and BJP holding the BRS government accountable for the leak, which adversely affected numerous unemployed individuals in the state. The opposition has called for an inquiry to be conducted by a sitting judge of the High Court or by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).