Latest news with #BoardofSecondaryEducation
New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
Rescheduled Special Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test still clouded by uncertainty
CUTTACK: Uncertainty looms over the conduct of the rescheduled Special Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test (OTET) as all three sets of question papers prepared by the Board of Secondary Education (BSE) are suspected to have been leaked. According to reports, the BSE follows a practice of preparing and printing three different sets of question papers for each examination, keeping the other sets in reserve in case one is compromised. For the Special OTET-2025, scheduled on July 20, three sets were prepared and printed. However, hours before the exam, BSE postponed it due to a question paper leak. On August 1, the board rescheduled the test to August 31. But now, it has reportedly written to the School and Mass Education (SME) department, expressing its inability to conduct the exam due to a shortage of manpower and time constraint.
Time of India
06-08-2025
- Time of India
Odisha govt suspends BSE vice president in OTET question paper leak
The exam, originally scheduled for July 20, 2025, was postponed due to the leak, with a data entry operator allegedly accessing the paper from Mohanty's laptop. BHUBANESWAR: Odisha govt on Tuesday suspended vice-president of the Board of Secondary Education (BSE), Odisha, Nihar Ranjan Mohanty, following his arrest by the state Crime Branch for his involvement in the Special Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test (OTET) 2025 question paper leak. Mohanty was taken into custody on Sunday following intensive interrogation by investigators on Saturday. His arrest brought the total number of accused connected to the leak to eight. The OTET exam—scheduled for July 20, 2025, for in-service primary school teachers—was postponed just hours before it was to begin due to the circulation of identical handwritten and printed question papers on social media platforms. Investigators alleged that the principal accused, Jitan Moharana, a data entry operator at BSE, accessed the question paper from Mohanty's laptop—violating security protocol—and distributed it further. Moharana reportedly received Rs 2.4–Rs 2.5 lakh through UPI transfers linked to the leak. Call logs revealed over 100 calls between Mohanty and Moharana outside office hours during the past three months, underscoring a suspicious nexus. Several other individuals, including teachers and brokers, have been implicated for translating, distributing, and monetizing the leaked papers. The OTET exam is now rescheduled for August 31, 2025, and the BSE has introduced stricter security protocols. Admit cards will be issued starting August 22, and the test will be conducted in two sessions to restore credibility and discourage malpractices, official sources said.
Time of India
05-08-2025
- Time of India
Headmaster suspended for OTET paper leak ‘link'
Bhubaneswar: The school and mass education department on Tuesday suspended Prashant Khamari, headmaster of a primary school in Angul district, for his alleged involvement in the special Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test (OTET) paper leak case. The state crime branch, which is probing the case, has already arrested seven others, including vice-president of the Board of Secondary Education (BSE), Odisha, Nihar Ranjan Mohanty, in connection with the alleged paper leak. Mohanty was suspended on Tuesday The special OTET was scheduled to be held on July 20 for in-service teachers. However, the board postponed the test hours before it began after allegedly handwritten and printed question papers went viral on social media platforms. The board later announced the test will be held on Aug 31.
Indian Express
03-08-2025
- Indian Express
Odisha paper leak: Top exam agency official who made ‘100 calls after office hours' held
Records showing over 100 calls beyond office hours between a junior employee and a top official of the Board of Secondary Education (BSE) helped the Odisha Police's Crime Branch crack the case of the Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test (OTET) question paper leak, officials said. The Crime Branch on Sunday arrested Nihar Ranjan Mohanty, vice president of the BSE — the agency that conducts the OTET — for his alleged involvement. Earlier, seven persons, including a BSE data entry operator, Jitan Moharana, and several teachers were arrested in the case. The OTET, which was scheduled to be held on July 20, was cancelled on the evening of July 19 after a handwritten copy of the question paper went viral on social media. It affected over 75,000 candidates. In Odisha, clearing the test is mandatory for appointment and promotion of teachers in government and private schools at the elementary level. Crime Branch DG Vinaytosh Mishra said even though Moharana had no direct official dealings with Mohanty, there were over 100 calls between them beyond office hours. Earlier, Moharana was kept out of the examination process over his suspicious conduct in the past. 'Neither did Mohanty have any relation with Moharana, nor was there any direct official interaction. Despite this, there were over 100 calls between them in the past three months. This was the primary grounds for suspicion to zero in on the board vice president,' said the Crime Branch DG. As per Crime Branch sources, Mohanty's role was to set the question papers. Before printing, the Bhopal-based press had sent a password-protected copy of the question paper to Mohanty. He is accused of giving Moharana access to it and sharing it with two teachers, who sold it to others.
Time of India
03-08-2025
- Time of India
Odisha education board VP held over leak
. BHUBANESHWAR : Odisha police crime branch arrested Board of Secondary Education vice-president Nihar Mohanty Sunday for his alleged involvement in the leak of special Odisha Teachers' Eligibility Test (OTET) question paper on the eve of the July 20 exam. Subsequently, OTET was cancelled. Earlier, the board's data entry operator Jitan Moharana was arrested on July 30 on charges of obtaining the question papers from Mohanty's laptop. Mohanty, responsible for overseeing the career progress test for in-service teachers, allegedly violated confidentiality protocols by allowing Moharana unauthorised access to his laptop, police said. "Only Mohanty had access to the password of his official laptop. After receiving the draft questions from a printer based outside Odisha for final review, he failed to delete the file from his laptop as required by protocol, indicating possible wrongful intent and criminal nexus," said DG Vinaytosh Mishra. An analysis of telephone records revealed unusual communication patterns between Mohanty and Moharana, including over 100 calls outside office hours in the past two to three months, Mishra added. Crime branch also noted that Moharana had previously been removed from exam duties due to concerns over his integrity and conduct. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
