Srinagar, Nov 21: The authorities seem to have hushed up the class 8th paper leak case, which put the government to severe embarrassment during the examinations earlier this month.
 Not only this much against the claims of the Education department that police was probing the matter, in fact no FIR has been filed.
 Following the reports of paper leak in entire Kashmir and even on the social networking websites, the State Institute of Education (SIE) had given a fresh set of papers  to some specific exam centers in the City whereas the “old and leak lot” was offered to the students elsewhere.
 Ironically, for this too, the authorities woke to act only when the last two papers were left.
 The paper change “mockery” had triggered resentment from the student community and their parents who accused the authorities of “playing with the career of students.”
 Finally in an apparent face saving the SIE on November 7 came up with official handout that an FIR has been filed into the matter.
 “An FIR in the case was instantly lodged in Police Station Soura,” reads a copy of the official handout circulated on the day of second last paper for the final exams. But the police says it didn’t file any FIR.
 “They (Education department officials) got a report filed that a question paper packet was opened accidentally,” said a senior police official adding no complaint of paper leak was reported by the complainants.
 “We haven’t filed any FIR as only a report has ben registered in the daily diary… As of now its not cognizable offence,” the official told Greater Kashmir. But the SIE officials prefer silence over the issue.
 “This (paper leak) isn’t anything new. Such reports have been there for the past four years… Your better contact the Director Education for details,” the SIE Principal said.
 Interestingly, the SIE often says that the Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) was responsible for the exams.
 Same is true for the official handout which claimed that the FIR had been filed.
The handout started with a reference to the key role of the DSEK.
“The State Institute of Education, on the
instructions of Director School Education Kashmir, replaced the question paper packets of Science subject … in view of the rumor that the question
paper of science subject for class 8th has been leaked,” the handout reads. Despite repeated attempts the Director School Education couldn’t be contacted for comment.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 21 Nov 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 21 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 IST