Primary TET 2017: WBBPE in Trouble Over Awarding Marks for Wrong Question in Primary! Key Now with CBI

Primary TET 2017: The West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) is facing a peculiar and unprecedented challenge. Following a directive from the Calcutta High Court to award full marks for a wrong question in the 2017 Primary TET examination, the Board is struggling to implement the order. The hurdle lies in the fact that all relevant documents and digital data are currently not in the Board’s possession but are seized by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Previously, in the interest of the investigation into the primary recruitment scam, the CBI had seized servers, hard disks, and all data related to OMR sheets from the Board’s office. Now, officials are facing severe difficulties in identifying exactly whose marks need to be increased in compliance with the court order.

High Court Order and the Board’s Dilemma

On November 24, the Calcutta High Court delivered a significant verdict. It was established that in the 2017 Primary TET examination, all four options for a specific question in the Environmental Science section were incorrect. The court ordered that all candidates who attempted to answer that specific question must be awarded full marks. Furthermore, if any candidate qualifies the TET after this addition of marks, they must be given an opportunity to participate in the ongoing recruitment process.

While the Board intends to honor the court’s verdict and proceed with transparency, a Board official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that they are ready to award the marks, but the problem is determining ‘who’ to award them to. The specific data regarding which candidates attempted that particular wrong question is currently unavailable in the Board’s records.

Key to Data Lies with CBI

During the investigation into the primary teacher recruitment corruption case, the CBI seized all hard disks and digital documents related to the 2017 recruitment. According to the Board’s claims:

• Seized Hard Disks: The hard disks containing detailed information about candidates’ answer scripts and OMR sheets are now in CBI custody.
• No Data with Third Party: The third-party agency engaged by the Board for publishing results also does not possess the necessary backup data at this moment.

As a result, the Board is unable to ascertain whose marks need to be increased. The entire process is now dependent on cooperation from the CBI.

What is the Next Step?

To resolve this complication, the Primary Education Board has already written a letter to the CBI, requesting the return of the necessary data or assistance with the information. The Board argues that this data is essential to comply with the court’s order. Until the information is received from the CBI, it is impossible to increase marks and identify the eligible candidates based on the revised scores.

Sources suggest that if the data is not received from the CBI in a timely manner, the Board may approach the court again. In that scenario, they would present their helplessness and seek further directions from the court. In summary, although the court’s verdict favors the candidates, the fate of the recruitment remains entangled in technical and investigative complexities.