Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) has decided to crack down on schools/Intermediate colleges that received affiliation by flouting norms during former board chairman Lalkeshwar Prasad Singh's tenure.

Around 213 schools/Intermediate colleges had received affiliation during Lalkeshwar's tenure between June 2014 and June 2016.

Most of the educational institutions that received affiliations lacked basic infrastructure, teaching and non-teaching staff and had enrolled students higher than sanctioned seats. According to norms, apart from state universities, the BSEB is also entitled to give affiliation to institutions imparting Intermediate-level education.

"After the topper scam surfaced, the state government had formed a committee to probe into the infrastructure facilities at schools/colleges given affiliation during former chairman Lalkeshwar Singh's tenure. Of 213 institutions, the committee has completed the probe in 158 schools/colleges," said BSEB chairman Anand Kishor.

"The committee, in its findings, said there were many anomalies ranging from academic to infrastructure facilities in the schools given affiliation."

He refused to disclose the actual number of such schools, but indicated that there were many such institutions.

According to sources, many of these schools lack basic infrastructure.

"Bir Kuer Singh Madhyamik Vidyalaya in Shivpur, Jehanabad, has four rooms with tin roof and admits students in classes IX to XII even in the absence of a proper classroom and laboratories. Similarly, many schools given affiliation during Lalkeshwar's tenure only existed on paper," said a BSEB official under the cover of anonymity.

The board, based on findings of the committee, will suspend the affiliation of all such schools/colleges at first, then issue showcause notices to their director/management for running such institutions without basic infrastructure.

Kishor said: "If required, police cases too will be lodged against the management of such educational institutions. Action will also be taken against officials part of the affiliation-granting committee."

In another disclosure, scrutiny (re-totalling) of Intermediate (Class XII) and matriculation examination papers found around 3,690 answer books in Intermediate and 5,656 answer books in matriculation carrying mistakes in totalling of marks awarded for different answers.

Kishor said: "Scrutiny of answer books means re-totalling and it is not re-evaluation (checking) of copies. If evaluators give more marks in scrutiny (re-totalling), it implies that either the first evaluators or the second have committed mistakes." The committee will probe the scrutiny process of all 9,346 copies.

In June, BSEB conducted the scrutiny of Intermediate and matriculation copies, necessitated after many students approached its office seeking re-totalling of answer sheets against the allegation of poor marking.