In a major move to curb unfair means in board examinations, the Sindh government has decided to take strict action against students caught cheating and involved staff members.
In a joint statement, Sindh Minister for Universities and Boards Muhammad Ismail Rahu and Education Minister Sardar Shah said a zero-tolerance policy against cheating has been enforced in matriculation and intermediate examinations.
They said that the students found using unfair means while attempting the paper will be barred from appearing in future board exams, while the staff found facilitating them will be dismissed from service.
They said disciplinary action will be taken against any invigilator, internal or external examiner, or administrative official found involved in malpractice during examinations.
The statement comes amid ongoing matriculation exams, which have been marred by paper leaks, bribery, and administrative failures, disrupting students’ ability to sit examinations fairly.
The ministers said students found in possession of mobile phones or cheating material will be immediately expelled from examination halls and their papers will be cancelled.
“Such candidates will also be prohibited from sitting in ongoing or future board examinations,” Rahu and Shah added.
They further said the monitoring system at examination centres will be tightened, and strict action will be taken against any interference or misconduct.
It is to be noted here that the annual examinations for 9th and 10th-grade students began across the city last Friday.
The examinations have been engulfed in controversy amid widespread allegations of bribery, paper leaks, and serious administrative lapses.
According to a report on Geo News programme “Geo Pakistan,” widespread irregularities have raised concerns over the fairness of the exams, with centres reportedly being changed even after papers had begun.
Students claim they were reassigned examination centres after already appearing in multiple papers, adding to confusion and disruption.
It was also reported that exam content, including a computer science paper and its answers, circulated on social media around 20 minutes before the exam began, raising questions about the scale and timing of the leak.
The allegations of organised cheating had also surfaced, including claims of payments of up to Rs5,000 to facilitate cheating inside examination halls, with some students allegedly being allowed unrestricted use of mobile phones.
