Dharamshala, May 23
A major irregularity has surfaced in the Himachal Pradesh School Education Board’s examination system, following a forensic investigation that confirmed tampering with students’ answer sheets during the March 2025 Class 10 board examinations. The incident, linked to an examination center in Bilaspur district, has prompted strong action from the Board, with Chairman Dr. Rajesh Sharma warning that those responsible “will not be spared.”
Addressing the media, Dr. Sharma said the Board had taken the matter very seriously after students alleged manipulation in the multiple-choice section of their answer sheets. The complaints were lodged by nine Arts stream students who had appeared for the examination at the Government Senior Secondary School, Jhandutta examination center.
According to the Board, a total of 40 students appeared at the center, including 11 students from Government High School Jeora. Following the written complaints, the students were called to the Board headquarters in October 2026, where experts examined the answer sheets in their presence.
The answer books were later sent to the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory in Dharamshala for scientific examination. The forensic report confirmed that tampering had occurred.
During the subsequent investigation, a special committee formed by the Board uncovered another serious lapse. The serial numbers on the tamper-proof envelopes containing the answer sheets did not match the numbers recorded in the official packing memo, indicating that the envelopes had allegedly been replaced or exchanged after the examination.
Calling the incident a grave breach of trust, Dr. Sharma said the Board had already forwarded all investigation reports and related documents to the Education Department, seeking strict legal and departmental action against the guilty officials.
“The interests of students will not be compromised under any circumstances,” the Chairman said, adding that the affected students would receive full marks, as per Board rules, for the questions found to have been tampered with. The decision, he said, was taken to ensure that the students’ academic future remains unaffected.
Reaffirming the Board’s commitment to maintaining transparency and credibility in examinations, Dr. Sharma said strict measures would be taken to ensure such incidents do not occur again.
