5 hours Ago
PUNE: The question paper for the grade 9 Marathi language assessment under the Periodic Assessment Test (PAT) – test no. 2 conducted by the Maharashtra State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) was leaked online ahead of the scheduled exam. Taking cognisance of the breach, the SCERT has lodged an FIR with the Pune police cyber cell.
SCERT director Rahul Rekhawar on Monday told Hindustan Times, “Yes, it is true that the question paper for tomorrow’s exam was leaked. An FIR is being registered against those YouTube channels. We are working with the police to get them taken down.
” The question paper leak was traced to a video uploaded by a YouTube channel named ‘Tutor ADM’ providing step-by-step guidance on answering the grade 9 Marathi PAT paper. The video, posted two days ago, is titled ‘PAT Test Number 2 – 2025’ and clearly contains the original paper, pointing to a serious breach of exam confidentiality. The video has gone viral, sparking fresh concerns about the utility of the PAT exams on which the education department spends crores of rupees.
Questions are also being raised about whether the department will investigate the matter thoroughly and ensure accountability. Despite the leak, instructions have been issued to conduct the PAT and annual exams for students from grade 3 to 9 as per the schedule published by the SCERT. The Headmasters’ Association, in a statement, said that while PAT exams will follow the SCERT-prescribed schedule, annual exams will be held as per the association’s timetable.
The ‘Integrated Assessment Two’ for Grade 9 Marathi (First Language), part of SCERT’s STARS project, is scheduled for Tuesday, April 8, 2024. When contacted again, Rekhawar reiterated, “Yes, it is true that the question paper for tomorrow’s exam is leaked. An FIR is being registered against those YouTube channels to shut them down with help from the police.
” Mahendra Ganpule, former vice-president of the Maharashtra State Headmasters’ Association, said, “This isn’t the first time PAT papers have been compromised. In the past, printed question papers were even found lying on the streets. SCERT sends these papers to schools in bundles—much like newspaper deliveries—which increase the chances of leaks.
” This latest leak has raised serious doubts about how the system will ensure fair assessment of students..
