Fahad and another teacher, Jishnu, were previously arrested for their involvement in the leak, which affected the last three quarterly exams conducted by the State General Education Department.
Published Mar 05, 2025 | 1:47 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 05, 2025 | 4:47 PM
Exam. Representational Image. (iStock)
Synopsis: Abdul Nassar, a peon at a Malappuram school, was arrested for leaking question papers to MS Solutions, a private coaching centre. Fahad, a former teacher, and Jishnu were previously arrested for their involvement. The leak, affecting several exams, raised concerns over Kerala’s education system. The investigation also targeted YouTube channels involved in distributing leaked papers.
The Kerala Crime Branch has arrested Abdul Nassar, a peon at an unaided school in Malappuram, for leaking question papers to MS Solutions, a private coaching centre. He had allegedly handed over the papers to Fahad, a former teacher at the same school and now a tutor at MS Solutions, who then uploaded them on YouTube.
The question paper was leaked by cutting the back of the sealed cover provided by the State General Education Department.
After taking a photo on the phone and sending it to the teacher at the institution called MS Solutions, he pasted the cover like before.
The Crime Branch clarified that he admitted to leaking the question paper of Plus One Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and SSLC English examinations. The school authorities said that Nassar was suspended from service after his arrest.
Fahad and another teacher, Jishnu, were previously arrested for their involvement in the leak, which affected the last three quarterly exams conducted by the State General Education Department.
The investigation intensified after MS Solutions’ CEO, M Shuhaib, was questioned last month. While he denied involvement, the teachers claimed they followed his instructions in preparing the question papers.
The MS Solutions YouTube channel, launched in 2017, gained traction after correctly predicting the 2023 Christmas exam questions. Authorities cracked the case after rigorous questioning of the arrested individuals.
The leak of the Class 10 English and Class 11 Mathematics question papers, which surfaced on YouTube prior to the exams, raised serious concerns within the education sector. This incident follows similar leaks during the Onam examinations, which prompted a detailed inquiry by Kerala Police.
In December 2024, the Director of General Education (DGE) formally complained to the Kerala State Police Chief regarding the leak of question papers for the half-yearly Christmas examinations in State schools.
The investigation included an inquiry into which teachers were also teaching at private tuition centres, with the possibility of disciplinary action for those found guilty.
The focus of the investigation also extended to YouTube channels, which have allegedly played a role in distributing the leaked exam papers.
Authorities were particularly concerned about the growing trend of YouTube channels predicting or even posting actual exam questions. These channels have gained popularity in recent years, with some even recommending specific exam questions to students, raising alarm about the integrity of the entire examination process.
However, it was not the first time Kerala faced questions over the security of its public examination system. Reports indicated that certain YouTube channels have been involved in leaking question papers during the past three quarterly exams.
One such channel, based in Koduvalli, had gained notoriety after successfully predicting questions for the Christmas exams 2023.
Despite multiple complaints from officials, including one from the Deputy Director of Education in Kozhikode, the Education Department did not initiate an investigation until the 2024 breach.
The Kozhikode Deputy Director filed a police complaint against the channel, which reportedly operated an online platform involving both serving and retired education department employees. The channel, which had gained significant traction for its accurate predictions, was shut down amid the leak allegations.
The YouTube channel has also been under scrutiny for allegedly incorporating sexually offensive references in its online educational content targeted at high school and higher secondary students.
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Dileep V Kumar)
