Bihar probes its dubious Class 12 toppers, one doesn't appear

Bihar's Class 12 'topper' in Arts, Rubi Rai, who said political science is all about cooking, will face stern action for failing to appear in a re-test on Friday, exam board's head Lalkeshwar Prasad Singh said.

"We are bound to take action, if possible, as per provisions to cancel her result," Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) Chairman Lalkeshwar Prasad told reporters on a day when 13 other toppers, from Arts and Science streams, did appear for the re-test.

The 14 students were called for a re-test by the BSEB after Aaj Tak TV channel showed a sting in which Rubi Rai said: "Prodikal (read political) science is about cooking," and Saurabh Shreshtha, a Science topper, said: "Most reactive element in the periodic table is aluminium."

Ruby scored 444 out of 500 marks in Arts stream and Saurabh Shreshtha 485 out of 500 in Science.

Both belong to V.R. College in Vaishali district.

"All the toppers, except Rubi Rai, appeared for re-examination at the board office here," a BSEB official Hariharnath Jha said.

Rubi reportedly informed the board that she is not well and unable to appear for the re-exam.

The 13 other students, including four from Arts stream and nine from Science, appeared before a panel of experts and anti-corruption wing of the board which tried to find out if they are toppers for real or they had cheated their way to the top.

The results of Rubi and Saurabh had been put on hold following the TV sting which suggested that education in Bihar continues to be a very dubious affair with the possibility that cheating and fraud continue on a large scale.

Bihar Education Minister Ashok Choudhary said action would be taken against officials found to be allowing fraud to take place.

The BSEB claimed this year that Class 12 exams were conducted free of cheating, citing a drastic fall in the pass percentage as the proof.

"Strict measures against cheating, including CCTV cameras and prohibitory orders against unlawful assembly in conducting the exams in February this year, resulted in fall in pass percentage," a board official said.

Till last year, mass cheating in board exams was reported. This year it was not reported.

--IANS

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