Kolkata: In six days in a row, as many reports of question paper leak have emerged. The questionnaire set by the examiners of English, mathematics, physical science, history and geography reached students before they could encounter the papers for the first time inside the examination hall. The Bangla paper leaked on the day of the exam.

The question papers leaked — or put up for sale for a hefty charge — have rendered the examination process meaningless. The papers were leaked through WhatsApp.

But Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee has dismissed the reports as a “rumour”. He claimed, "I have continuously been in touch with district magistrates and superintendents of police during the day. There is no question paper leak. These are rumours."

Ironically, a CID investigation has been initiated into the incidents whose occurrence the state education minister — and prominent face of the TMC — denies! The CID has arrested five persons who were said to be involved in the act of leaking the papers. Two of the five arrested are students of Class 12. 

The education board has filed a police complaint at the Bidhannagar Police Cyber Crime Cell too.

It started on the very first day of the exams. As soon as the test for the first language (Bengali, in most cases) started, the question paper was shared widely among the people, through WhatsApp.

In the cases of other exams, the situation was worse: the papers of different subjects were leaked before the respective, scheduled examinations.

And the saga continued till Wednesday, leaving students frustrated, parents infuriated. But this is not a case of question paper leak for the Mamata Banerjee government.

As West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) exam papers are freely floating on different WhatsApp groups, a stunned opposition put the blame squarely on chief minister Banerjee. “Stop tall talks. Feel ashamed, Mamata Banerjee", tweeted senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty.

The opposition is unrelenting as student unions of the CPI(M ) — the SFI — and their youth wing, the DYFI, protested. The students’ union of the Congress (known in Bengal as Chhatra Parishad rather than the NSUI) took to the streets. But away from politics, the future of 10,66,000 students who are taking this exam is in doldrums.