Jaipur:

A vigilance squad from the Rajasthan Education Department uncovered a widespread cheating operation during the Rajasthan State Open School exams for Classes 10 and 12. The incident occurred at a government middle school in Kolu village, Dechu, where teachers were caught red-handed aiding students in cheating.

The vigilance squad, conducting random checks across exam centers in the state, arrived at the school only to find its gates suspiciously locked. Undeterred, the team scaled the walls and burst into classrooms where teachers were actively writing exam answers on blackboards. The scenes captured on camera by the vigilant officials revealed a blatant disregard for exam protocols.

Nishi Jain, who led the flying squad, recounted the details: “We received a tip-off about organised cheating at this school. When we came to check, we found the gates of the school locked and were forced to jump over the walls. We found that teachers were organising mass-scale cheating, with answers written on blackboards for students to copy.”

The squad’s evidence included not just the written answers but also alarming discoveries of monetary transactions. “We found substantial amounts of cash in possession of students,” Jain added, “one student had Rs 2,100 on them, while another confessed to offering Rs 2,000 to teachers for unfair assistance.”

Further investigations revealed even more disturbing practices. “Two teachers from the science stream, identified as Anasuya and Komal Varma, were not only facilitating cheating but were also acting as dummy candidates,” Ms Jain said. “They were caught giving exams on behalf of other students.”

Local authorities were promptly alerted, and a police team was dispatched to the scene. Amid the chaos, two suspected dummy candidates managed to evade capture.

The Rajasthan Education Department has responded to the scandal and registered a case against 10 teachers, including Principal Rajendra Singh Chauhan. “Immediate actions have been taken,” said Kishore Bohra, the Block Education Officer at Phalodi. “Six third-grade teachers and one librarian have been suspended, and disciplinary actions are pending against the principal and the absent observer.”

This incident has raised serious concerns about the integrity of the Rajasthan State Open School exams, designed to provide educational opportunities to those who have been denied education or could not be part of mainstream schooling.