CBI to probe IIT paper leakage

The Central Bureau of Investigation will inquire into the reported leakage of the question papers of the Indian Institute of Technology joint entrance examination, the government told both houses of Parliament on Tuesday.

In the Lok Sabha, Human Resource Development Minister S R Bommai, while assuring a CBI inquiry, said the examination of which the paper had been leaked would be held again in early July.

Responding to Prithviraj Chavan (Congress), who raised the matter during zero hour, Bommai said all efforts would be made to maintain the credibility and reputation of the institute.

In the Rajya Sabha, responding to members during zero hour, Minister of State for Human Resource Development Muni Ram Saikia said the department of education was aware of the present lacunae in the examination system and would invite suggestions to help make it more effective.

The IIT entrance exam of May 3 and 4 were cancelled after a suspected question paper leak.

Almost 100,000 students appear in the entrance exams held across the country. Now they will have to be re-examined in July.

Senior IIT personnel reviewed the situation and find the origin of the leak, which is believed to have originated in Lucknow.

According to sources, after the paper is set all papers and reference material used are either destroyed or locked away till the job is done. The printer's name is never revealed and even its workers are unlikely to know the origin of the paper since the institute is never mentioned on the printed material.

Once returned, the papers are sealed and locked in a room in the IIT campus, to be opened only by the chairman or vice-chairman. The papers are transported to the other IIT campuses by an IIT employee carrying the papers as "personal luggage. The seal is only broken before invigilators on the day of the examination.

This is the first case of suspected paper leakage from the IIT in 41 years.