A surge in cheating incidents has been reported during this year’s Intermediate exams in Telangana, with sneaking chits into exam halls, notably concealed in undergarments, emerging as the most prevalent violation.
Over the past ten days, authorities have apprehended 142 students for cheating, with the majority found hiding chits in their undergarments, clothes, and shoes. According to the District Education Officer in Bhupalpally, 26 students were caught for malpractices in a single day across four examination centers. The flying squad, tasked with monitoring exam centers, detected these violations by observing suspicious behavior and conducting thorough frisks.
Notably, the majority of the caught students are male, many of whom had previously failed exams in 2022 and 2023. Some of them are reported to be engaged in part-time work at shops or fields instead of dedicating time to their studies.
In response to the escalating malpractice incidents, vigilance has been heightened, resulting in the suspension of nine faculty-cum-officers for their alleged involvement in allowing malpractices to occur. It’s worth mentioning that before the onset of the pandemic, nearly 100 students were caught cheating daily. However, increased awareness of the severe consequences seems to have significantly reduced the number of such incidents.
Students found cheating will undergo scrutiny to ascertain the use of chits, with potential consequences ranging from having to take supplementary exams to facing further punishment, to be determined by a committee overseeing the matter.
