Kerala police are investigating Instagram and YouTube 'educational channels' that offer test-paper clues to lure anxious school students taking Onam mid-term examinations
An estimated 40 lakh school students are taking the Onam examinations, which will conclude on August 20. On August 16, the General Education department petitioned State Police Chief to conduct a detailed criminal inquiry into Instagram and YouTube channels that lure students by promising definitive clues about the mid-term Onam test papers
Kerala police have launched a preliminary investigation into online tutorial channels that exploit school students' examination anxiety to gain subscribers. These channels, primarily on Instagram and YouTube, promise to provide definitive clues about the mid-term Onam test papers. The General Education department has petitioned State Police Chief Ravada A. Chandrasekhar for a detailed criminal inquiry into these channels, which target approximately 40 lakh school students from Class I to higher secondary.
Police may initiate a Crime Branch inquiry and seek a report from the Kerala Police Cyber Cell, analyzing digital financial transactions and verifying if teachers involved in question-setting are behind the scheme. The police are also checking if these channels lure students and parents by asking for sensitive personal information like emails, phone numbers, and credit card details, potentially constituting a data-harvesting operation.
If violations of the IT Act or infringement of the Public Examinations Act are found, the police would register cases with penalties up to ten years' imprisonment and significant fines. The government has warned students and parents about these channels, stating that they undermine the essence of comprehensive school education by encouraging shortcuts to high grades.
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