DHARAMSHALA — The Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBOSE) has officially confirmed that answer sheets from the March 2025 Matriculation (Class 10) examinations were deliberately manipulated. The confirmation follows a detailed investigation by the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL), prompting the board to grant compensatory marks to protect the academic interests of the affected students.
According to HPBOSE Chairman Rajesh Sharma, the systemic irregularities occurred at the Government Senior Secondary School examination center in Jhandutta, Bilaspur district.
Case Background & Investigation Lifecycle
The security breach primarily impacted the Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) section of the Art-A subject paper.
- Initial Complaints: The issue came to light after nine Arts-stream students from Government High School, Jeora (who took their exams at the Jhandutta center), submitted a formal written grievance alleging that their finalized answer sheets had been manipulated post-examination.
- Administrative Verification: In October 2025, the board summoned the complainants to its headquarters in Dharamshala, reviewing the physical answer scripts in the presence of designated subject matter experts. The initial review indicated that correct answers had been intentionally struck out and altered.
- Forensic Confirmation: The scripts were subsequently forwarded to the RFSL in Dharamshala. The forensic laboratory’s final report conclusively proved that unauthorized physical alterations and overwriting had taken place.
Envelope-Swapping Discrepancy Uncovered
A special probe committee constituted by the board uncovered further procedural lapses during the investigation. Officials discovered a significant mismatch between the unique serial numbers printed on the “tamper-proof” security envelopes and the data recorded on the official packing memos.
The investigation indicated that the security envelopes containing the student answer scripts were unlawfully exchanged or swapped, either at the local examination center or during subsequent transit and handling before evaluation.
Remedial Action and Student Safeguards
The board emphasized that the students bear zero accountability for the security failure. To prevent any negative impact on the students’ cumulative percentages and overall merit rankings, HPBOSE has implemented the following measures based on the probe committee’s recommendations:
- Award of Full Credit: Affected candidates will be granted full compensatory marks for all specific exam questions found to have been physically compromised or altered.
- Administrative Escalation: The complete case file, investigative logs, and forensic findings have been formally forwarded to the state Education Department to enforce legal accountability.
- Departmental Action: The names of all suspect invigilators, supervisors, and handling officials linked to the Jhandutta center have been submitted for strict disciplinary and legal action under established service rules.
