Gandhinagar: Gujarat government today decided to cancel the malpractice marred exam of non-secretariat clerk conducted by the Gujarat Subordinate Service Selection Board (GSSSB) on November 17 on the basis of the report of a special investigation team (SIT).

Addressing a press conference here this evening Minister of State for home Pradipsinh Jadeja said that the SIT report handed over to the CM Vijay Rupani today prima facie suggested that the paper of the exam in which over 8 lakh candidates had appeared was leaked. The testing of the mobile phone and CCTV data by the FSL also indicated it.

A meeting of the SIT with CM, DyCM and Education Minister was held today in which it was decided to cancel the exam. Those students who were found involved in the malpractice would also be disqualified from taking any competitive exam for three years. To prevent such activities an FIR would be lodged in Gandhinagar to investigate the paper leak incident and book the culprits.The Ahmedabad crime branch and Anti Terrorist Squad of Gujarat police would also be associated with this probe.

Minister of State for home Pradipsinh Jadeja said that the SIT constituted under the chairmanship of Principal Secretary of the General Administration Department, Kamal Dayani IAS and having two senior police officers ADGP (CID) Manoj Shashidharan and I G -Gandhinagar Mayanksinh Chavda and Additional Secretary (GAD) Jwalant Trivedi IAS as its three members on the instructions of CM Vijay Rupani was asked to hand over its report to the government in 10 days till when the results of the exam were not published and put on hold.

Highlights of briefing by MoS Home

– Students had given 10 mobile phones with footage of exam paper leak. These mobile phones were analyzed to come to conclusion

– CCTV footage were also checked

– Malpractice such as copying from mobile phone or discussion with other examinees were found

– FSL also gave a report

– SIT report was handed over to Chief Minister today. It is a detailed report

– The Chief Minister consulted Dy CM Nitin Patel, education minister Chudasama, MoS Jadeja, senior bureaucrats and members of SIT held detailed discussion on findings of report

– SIT report recommended that prima facie cheating was found in exams

– It was found that paper was leaked before exam started

– Students found involved in cheating will be disqualified to appear in exams for next three years

– The government has also taken a decision to file FIR against those involved in cheating

– FIRs filed so far: Banakantha -1 , Gir Somnath – 1 , Surendranagar 2

– Exam centres that witnessed malpractice will not be selected for future exams

– Supervisors, school operators were called for questioning. If they are found involved, they will face legal procedure

– The government has taken these decisions after technical evidences are found true

– FIR will be filed to probe how a paper was leaked and who were involved in this

– Ahmedabad Crime Branch and Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad will also be part of the probe team to nab those responsible for paper leak

– The government doesn’t want to make changes in qualification criteria for re-exam. SIT will suggest how these exams can be conducted in better and full proof manner

– Gaun Seva Pasandgi Mandal chairman had procured CCTV footage from all 39 places and started probe. Chairman was not given any evidence of advance paper leak. In last 5 years, chairman has completed 25,000 recruitment in transparent manner. There was some error in system this time which is to be probed.

– Congress leaders had only presented CCTV footage and nothing to support advance paper leak. CCTV footage were already being checked

DeshGujarat