THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Chemistry examination of the old scheme SSLC (Secondary School Leaving Certificate) scheduled on March 23 has been rescheduled and will now be held at 9.45 a.m. on March 30. This follows a mix-up in the question paper packets for Wednesday's old scheme History examination.

This was announced by Education Minister M.A. Baby at a press conference here on Wednesday.

In 41 examination centres spread over the educational districts of Kothamangalam, Tirur and Muvattupuzha, when the question paper packets labelled with the code for the History examination were opened it was found that they contained the question papers of the Chemistry examination scheduled on March 23. In 25 of these centres in Kothamangalam and Muvattupuzha, the District Education Officer concerned was able to reach spare question papers for History. Similar arrangements were made for five of the 16 centres in Tirur educational district where the mix-up was reported. As many as 226 students in the 11 other centres were not able to write the examination. For these students, a fresh History question paper will be arranged for a special examination to be held in the afternoon of March 30.

The Government will conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the incident. A preliminary inquiry has, however, revealed that the mix-up was the result of wrong labelling of the question paper packets at one of the two presses where the question papers were printed. The question papers for the old scheme examination and those for private registration candidates under the new scheme were printed in this press.

"Naturally this press will be blacklisted. The Government will decide later the action to be initiated against this press. We will also write to the RBI on this issue," Mr. Baby said. This is not a leak but just a mix-up, he added.

The police will be asked to find out whether there was any conspiracy behind the lapses that occurred at the printing press and also to probe the manner in which the particular press was selected.

As many as 14,499 students had registered for the old scheme SSLC examination.

The old scheme Arabic examination that got rescheduled as a result of a similar mix-up will also be held in the afternoon of March 30, he added.

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