The Hindu : Front Page : Question leak issue rocks Assembly

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Friday, Mar 09, 2007
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Question leak issue rocks Assembly

Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Assembly proceedings were disrupted for 20 minutes on Thursday over the leak of Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) model examination question papers in February. The model examination was held in February.

Trouble began while Law Minister M. Vijayakumar, standing in for Education Minister M.A. Baby, was replying to questions of M. Murali on the steps taken for conducting the SSLC examination in a credible manner. The MLA sought details of the agencies entrusted with the preparation and printing of questions papers for the model examination.

Mr. Vijayakumar said it was entrusted to the Academic Council, Kerala State Teachers' Association, the Kerala Private School Headmasters' Association, the Teachers' Association, the Nair Service Society and the Changanassery and Pala dioceses.

Mr. Murali said the organisations associated with the Left Democratic Front (LDF) were responsible for the leak. Mr. Vijayakumar then said that a Crime Branch inquiry had been ordered and action would be taken against the guilty.

Raising a question on the present position of the inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the SSLC question paper leak in 2005, Anathalavattom Anandan said the first instance was reported during the tenure of the United Democratic Front (UDF). Opposition members then raised a protest and moved to the well of the House. LDF members rushed to the defence of Mr. Vijayakumar and raised slogans. Speaker K. Radhakrishnan adjourned the proceedings at 9.28 a.m.

When the proceedings were resumed at 9.50 a.m., Mr. Radhakrishnan described the developments as unfortunate. Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy said that they were forced to protest since the members' right to seek a reply was not honoured.

Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the LDF members too had the right to ask questions, and Mr. Anandan was asking only about the current position of the CBI investigation. The Opposition should not expect the 98 members of the LDF to remain silent, he said.

Chandy's charge

Mr. Chandy then accused the Government of transferring the inquiry officer before completing the investigation into the mode of question paper leak. Mr. Balakrishnan then clarified that the officer had completed it and submitted a report to the Government. He also said that it was Mr. Baby who first revealed the leak and the Government had taken immediate action.

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