The Bihar Staff Selection Commission (BSSC) examination question leak racket has shaken up the state and the Grand Alliance government.

The Telegraph dissects the anatomy of the scam:

What does BSSC do?

It's tasked with conducting examinations for recruitment of government personnel in lower ranks

♦ How does it conduct examinations?

BSSC issues an advertisement mentioning vacancies under different grades and asks eligible candidates to apply. After scrutinising the documents it issues admit cards and conducts the examination at different centres within the state with administrative support of the district administration concerned

♦ How are candidates selected?

Based on the performance of the candidates in the competitive examination, a merit list is prepared according to the reservation norms set by the state government and then a final list of successful candidates is published

♦ Who evaluates the performance of the candidates?

In objective-type examination, OMR answer sheets are used and evaluation is done through computers. In subject exams, BSSC ropes in the services of subject specialists for evaluation of answer sheets

♦ Who appoints the personnel and officials manning BSSC?

The state government. As things stand now, an IAS officer is working as chairman of the BSSC, while a state administrative service officer had been made its secretary. Some lower grade staff have been provided to do the office job at BSSC. There are 50 such staff working with the BSSC

♦ What is the scam that has surfaced?

Leak of question papers for the clerical grade examination being conducted by BSSC. Police probe has so far revealed that a well-oiled network of private players and BSSC employees was leaking question papers to those who were paying a sum of Rs 6 lakh. They were also provided answers

♦ How was it being done?

WhatsApp was being used for leaking the question papers and those who had paid the price were added in the group and provided the details. So far police have found that 200 candidates were members of this group

♦ From where was question paper leaked?

The probe thus far has revealed that these were leaked from one examination centre in Patna and those manning this examination centre had connections in BSSC

♦ How many people have so far been arrested?

Apart from BSSC secretary Parmeshwar Ram and data entry operator Avinash Kumar, 30 more people have been arrested. One of them happened to be the director of a private school in Patna, which was the examination centre and from where the question paper was leaked

♦ How did police get inkling of the scam?

During investigation in connection with an employment racket which used to dupe candidates in the name of getting a job in the Indian Army, police nabbed a few players from Patna. They revealed during interrogation that they were also into the question paper leak business of BSSC. Based on the information, three persons were arrested from Patna and 23 from Nawada. These arrested persons further spilled the beans leading to arrest of a private school patron and director of a coaching institute

♦ Why has BSSC secretary Parmeshwar Ram, who now has been put under suspension, been arrested?

Police investigations revealed that Parmeshwar was part of the conspiracy and his mobile records revealed he was in regular touch with persons who had been arrested in connection with the scam

♦ Why has the chairman not been questioned so far?

Police quizzed chairman Sudhir Kumar on Friday. Details are awaited

♦ Are politicians and bureaucrats involved in the scam?

Initial probe shows several politicians and bureaucrats had sought undue favour from BSSC officials for their respective candidates. Even BSSC chairman Sudhir Kumar on Friday told journalists that he too had received calls from politicians seeking favour. Kumar, however, later retracted from his statement claiming that he had been misquoted