Paper leak attempts foiled as Karachi intermediate exams begin under strict security

Annual intermediate examinations under the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi began on Wednesday, with anti-cheating measures, including advanced security features introduced by the board, proving effective. An attempt to leak an exam paper from a centre in the Gadap area was foiled.

According to Inter Board Chairman Ghulam Muhammad Lakho, more than 160,000 students are appearing in the exams in morning and evening shifts. A total of 175 examination centres have been set up across both shifts. In view of the intense heat, Rescue 1122 services have been deployed at examination centres.

On the first day, an attempt to leak a paper was detected and stopped, with the source traced through a watermark embedded in the paper.

During a search at the examination centre, a mobile phone was recovered from a female candidate who had shared an image of the paper via WhatsApp. According to a board spokesperson, the botany paper appeared in WhatsApp groups about half an hour after the exam began.

The paper was sent from the Government Degree College Konkar Village centre in Gadap using a mobile phone. A special control room team at the Inter Board Karachi identified the centre through the watermark.

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The vigilance officer at the centre, Hina Sheikh, took timely action and conducted a search of students. A mobile phone containing the paper was recovered from a candidate. The centre administration registered a case against the student in accordance with the rules and forwarded it to the board for further action.

Chairman Lakho said inter-board science group papers will be assessed through e-marking and an OMR system to ensure timely and transparent results. He also visited various examination centres, including Bahria Foundation College and Sir Syed College, where he expressed satisfaction with the arrangements and interacted with students.

Lakho warned that any student found with a mobile phone will have their paper cancelled and be barred from appearing in future board exams. He added that board officials will remain present at centres during the exams, and answer sheets will be sealed under supervision and transported to the board office after each paper.

Additionally, 21 centres have been declared highly sensitive, where special security and monitoring arrangements have been implemented. A barcode system has also been introduced on answer sheets to prevent cheating.

The examinations will continue until June 15, and plans are also in place to fully automate the examination system next year.

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In a joint statement on April 17, Sindh Education Minister Sardar Ali Shah and Universities and Boards Minister Muhammad Ismail Rahu said that any students found involved in cheating during matriculation and intermediate examinations will be barred from appearing in future board exams. They added that examination staff found to be involved in malpractice would face immediate dismissal from service.

The ministers stated that students caught carrying mobile phones or cheating materials would be immediately expelled from examination centres, with their papers cancelled. Such candidates would also be disqualified from the ongoing exams and barred from future board examinations.

The warning came amid increased scrutiny of matric examinations in Sindh, where issues including delayed exams, late issuance of admit cards, and administrative mismanagement prompted official inquiries and reports.