The history and political science paper of the Class 10 Maharashtra Senior Secondary Certificate examinations was leaked on WhatsApp an hour before the test on Monday, the Hindustan Times reported on Tuesday. The matter came to light when authorities of the Sacred Heart School in Kalyan checked the contents of students’ mobile phones after a student alleged that the paper had been leaked.

Authorities said a private coaching class had told over 100 students that they would receive the question paper an hour before the exam. “We conducted a surprise check of the mobile phones and found the question papers on their WhatsApp, sent by a person named Khatwani,” said Albin Anthony, an administrator at Sacred Heart School. “Checking further, we realised that the papers were given by Vinita Classes in Ulhasnagar.”

He said the school had alerted officials of the Maharashtra board, who then filed a First Information Report at the Titwala Police Station.

SP Borase, the secretary of the Maharashtra State Board for Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, said the school was asked to continue the examination.

Anthony also said that the school had given the police the names of 12 students who were found to have the leaked question paper. “The 12 students confessed that they were promised question papers by at least three coaching centres,” he said, according to The Indian Express.

‘Exam centres that leak papers will be blacklisted’

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Education Minister Vinod Tawde told the Legislative Council that exam centres found guilty of leaking papers will be blacklisted, PTI reported.

Congress MLC Sanjay Dutt claimed that the leak of the history and political science paper indicated a racket in which school board employees might be involved. “This is not an isolated incident, but one in a series of leaks,” he claimed. “It began with the chemistry paper on February 28, English paper on March 8 and the science paper on March 16.”

In response, Tawde said the state government will hold a meeting of experts before the ongoing Budget Session ends to decide how to tackle the problem.