BSEB row: Toppers Saurabh, Rahul fail re-examination

Following the re-examination of the Bihar School Examination Board by 14 students yesterday, the results of two students-Saurabh Shrestha and Rahul Kumar, who were the toppers, were cancelled on Saturday.

"I had called 14 students, among whom 11 gave very good answers. They were given clean chit. Two students-Rahul Kumar and Saurabh Kumar hardly gave any answers, so their results were cancelled," BSEB chairman Lalkeshwar Prasad told ANI.

Ruby Rai, the Bihar Board Class XII topper in Arts stream was not well and that's why she could not sit for the re-examination.

"Her father has given an application, so she will be given a chance. She has been given a week's time and has been called on 11th," he said.

Prasad further stated that a committee has been formed which will be headed by a High Court judge, accompanied by an IAS or IPS officer and an academician, adding that a report has been formed and they would soon produce it in front of the committee.

Few days back, a news channel had shown how Arts topper Ruby Rai and Science topper Saurabh Shreshtha were completely clueless about their respective subjects which they had topped, raising doubts over the manner in which they secured the top position.

The expose had raised questions over the prevailing education system in the state and how the mafia involved in education were indulging into this business of promising top ranks to candidates in exchange for money.

The first seven rank-holders each from Science and Arts stream of the Vishun Roy College in Hajipur were asked to sit for a special test and undergo an interview.

They were required to score more than 70 per cent in Friday's test to retain their position in the merit list.

Reportedly, there are allegations that the institute's director, Amit Kumar, alias Bachcha Rai, is close to some leaders of the ruling Grand Alliance and has been running a racket in collusion with certain unscrupulous BSEB officials for years, leading to exemplary results in the Boards from a college that does not even hold classes regularly.

The Bihar government which last year had received flaks from all section of the society when pictures of massive cheating in matric exams made headlines had made enormous arrangement this time around to conduct free and fair examination but all the efforts have gone in vain as the image of the state once again has been tarnished.