The state secondary education board has voided the entire examination for five students on the second day of Madhyamik as they allegedly entered their examination centres with mobile phones, a board official said.
Phones were recovered in five centres in north Calcutta, West Burdwan, North 24-Parganas, Birbhum and Murshidabad.
According to reports, these students were allegedly apprehended with mobile phones around two hours after the exam started at 11am.
“We did not find any activity on their mobile phones, like sending any questions through WhatsApp, seeking help. However, as entering exam halls with mobile phones is strictly prohibited, their entire examinations have been cancelled,” said a board official.
On Monday, the first day of Madhyamik, the board annulled the entire examination for a female student after she allegedly entered a centre in Bankura with a mobile phone.
The students wrote the first language paper on Monday. On Monday, they wrote the second language paper.
In an examination centre in East Midnapore on Tuesday, two students volunteered to submit their mobile phones before the start of examinations at 11am, said a board official.
"Before the examinations began, the centre-in-charge urged the students to submit their mobile phones if they had any. Two students came forward and surrendered their phones," said a board official.
Assault charge
The headmaster, five teachers, and a Group D staff member of a school in Jamalpur, East Burdwan, have been suspended for allegedly assaulting an officer-in-charge of the centre who intervened when the mobile of the Group D staff member started ringing during the exam.
“The officer-in-charge, who is a school inspector (SI), has been admitted to the hospital. CCTV footage could not be captured as the cameras at the centre were inactive,” said a board official.