While cases of cheating and paper leak during the board exam season are unfortunately heard about a lot. In a similar incident, today, the news of Class 10 Maths and Class 12 Economics question paper getting leaked started doing rounds. And many students and parents were taken aback when the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) released an official notification regarding re-examination of Class 10 and Class 12 Board Exam 2018.
On the day they thought the nightmare was approaching its end, lakhs of CBSE students learned they were going to have to sit through a rerun.
Students who appeared for Class X Maths paper on Wednesday and Class XII Economics paper on Monday, thinking they had safely put the worst behind them, were looking forward to carrying out their vacation plans. But it all came a cropper when the CBSE announced a re-exam for the two subjects in the wake of leaks, leading the gobsmacked teenagers and the ri parents to exclaim in emotions ranging from disbelief and dismay to anxiety and anger.
"We never even heard that the Mathematics paper was leaked," said Rupja Banerjee, Class X student from DAV Public School in New Panvel. "It is very surprising and shocking that a re-exam will be conducted. As it is, it's a tough subject for me. Practising again is going to be exhausting."
Especially so, since the subject is known to be a bugbear for most students.
A Class XII Arts student's parent, Nisha Mishra, also said she hadn't picked up any news or rumour about the Economics paper being leaked, until the Board's announcement. "I didn't hear anything about it. When I first got the message that the paper will be conducted again, I thought it was a joke."
Reports of questions papers being leaked at certain places were first denied by the CBSE, until Wednesday.
"But when I called up my son's teacher, she confirmed it," said Mishra. "My son has also to prepare for entrance exams. When will he do that?"
Raj Aloni, principal of Ramsheth Thakur Public School, Kharghar, said, "Many students are upset. It is surprising. We don't know when and where the leak happened. Many students as well as teachers have booked tickets for vacations, and some of them even left today. Now, they all will have to return for this re-exam."
Other students said it was "really unfair" that they should have to study again, or forego their vacation plans for no fault of their own.
The dates for fresh examinations and other details will be put up on the CBSE website within a week.