KARACHI: In an unprecedented move, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah suspended Hyderabad and Sukkur boards’ controllers of examination on Monday, when the first paper of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams was held and widespread complaints of cheating by candidates were reported from most centres.

Masroor Ahmed Zair and Abdul Sami Soomro, controllers of examination of the Hyderabad and Sukkur boards, respectively, were placed under suspension apparently after the CM was apprised of the use of unfair means by candidates on a large scale at many exam centres.

The SSC part-I and II exams got under way on Monday across Sindh under five boards — Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas and Larkana — and according to the officials concerned, foolproof arrangements had been made to check copying and impersonation, besides maintaining security. However, rampant use of unfair means was reported during the exam.

In the relevant notification issued by the Sindh government, the administrations of all educational boards in the province have been told to strengthen their exam system or face a similar action.

It was stated that Masroor Ahmed Zai, the controller of examination of the Hyderabad Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE), was suspended for his failure to control use of unfair means in the exams during the paper held on the first day. His deputy, Nisar Soomro, has been given the additional charge to look after the post, according to the notification.

Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah visited different centres in the Sukkur region and found candidates using unfair means without any fear.

The minister reported the matter to the chief minister with remarks that not only copying was going on unchecked, but question paper was also leaked out by Sukkur board staffers at least at one centre.

Taking notice of the irregularities, the CM placed under suspension controller of examination of the Sukkur Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Abdul Sami Soomro and gave the additional charge of his post to the deputy controller.

HYDERABAD: Vigilance teams paid surprise visits to 63 centres and found 53 copying cases and two impersonation cases.

The teams also found five candidates from Gilgit-Baltistan taking the paper at a centre set up in the Govt Comprehensive Boys High School, Latifabad, Unit-10. They were restrained from appearing in the exams. They had submitted their forms at the Noor Mohammad Boys High School.

SUKKUR: The first SSC paper was held at 206 centres in Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur and Naushahro Feroze districts under the Sukkur board. Out of them, 47 centres were declared ‘sensitive’.

A total of 29 vigilance teams were constituted to monitor the exams. The teams found 276 candidates involved in copying.

In Mirpur Mathelo, 15 candidates at different centres were caught cheating. More than 40 candidates were found using different unfair means at other centres.

In Jacobabad, vigilance committees found some policemen and employees of education and other departments helping candidates in solving their paper. Some students were seen using mobile phones as well.

An unspecified number of ‘outsiders’ were taken into custody by the policemen deployed at the centres for trying to pass on cheating material to candidates.

MIRPURKHAS: Over a dozen vigilance teams visited selected centres to check cheating during the first SSC paper held under the Mirpurkhas Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education. According to sources in the board, scores of candidates were caught copying by using mobile phones, books, and other cheating material.

At some centres, a few girl students were found involved in such practices while at some other centres, impersonation cases were unearthed.

The teams seized mobile phones of the errant candidates and also warned some teachers and invigilators against helping candidates in solving their paper.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2019