Addressing paper leak: Bihar to set up expert committee under judge for exam reforms

The Bihar government has formed a five-member expert committee, headed by a serving or retired judge, to propose reforms in the examination system and tackle paper leaks. This move follows student protests in New Delhi and various states, which led to the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The committee must submit its report within three months of its formation.

The committee's mandate includes reviewing the examination framework across secondary and higher secondary schools, universities, competitive examinations, and entrance tests. It will also look into recruitment and competitive examinations. The General Administration Department, under Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, issued a notification on Sunday constituting the "Expert Committee on Examination Reforms" to review the current examination framework and recommend comprehensive reforms.

The committee's terms of reference require it to evaluate the institutional structure, basic infrastructure, roles of boards and district administration, and accountability systems for different stages of the examination process. It will also prescribe time limits for various stages, from advertisement to result publication to re-evaluation.

The primary goal of the committee is to enhance the reliability, integrity, and public trust in examinations conducted by the state and its examination bodies. It aims to prevent question paper leaks, impersonation, cheating, mass copying, manipulation at examination centers, tampering with answer books, unauthorized data access, and result manipulation.

The committee will ensure examinations are conducted on time and results are declared within stipulated timeframes, with full transparency and accountability throughout the process. It must also promote the appropriate use of digital technology, data analytics, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity tools while maintaining human supervision and data security.

The committee will pay special attention to ensuring that examination reforms do not disadvantage students from rural, economically weaker, socially deprived backgrounds, or those unfamiliar with digital technology. It will examine and recommend reforms for five categories of examinations in Bihar: secondary/higher secondary, university, professional and technical, entrance and eligibility, and recruitment and competitive examinations.