The Assam State Board has announced the cancellation of all Class 11 examinations scheduled from March 24 to 29. This decision affects 36 subjects and comes in light of multiple reports of question paper leaks, as stated by Education Minister Ranoj Pegu.

Previously, a leak of the Higher Secondary first-year Mathematics paper, which was set for March 21, prompted officials to cancel that exam and file a police report. The Class 11 examinations had commenced on March 6 and were originally slated to conclude on March 29.

Minister Pegu confirmed via a post on X that due to allegations of question paper leaks and breaches of protocol, the remaining exams for the Higher Secondary First Year Examination 2025 have been cancelled. He indicated that a board meeting on Monday, March 24, would determine the future course of action regarding the exam schedule.

In a follow-up post, Pegu detailed that the Mathematics paper leak was traced back to 18 schools—three of which were government institutions—that improperly opened the security seal a day prior to the exam. As a consequence, the Assam State School Education Board (ASSEB) has suspended the affiliations of 15 private schools across 10 districts for this violation, with further action pending against three more institutions for similar infractions.

Additionally, the state government intends to press charges against the implicated schools, which have been barred from enrolling Class 11 students for the 2025-26 academic year. Pegu noted that police complaints will be filed, following the ASSEB’s directives issued by Ranjan Kumar Das, the Controller of Examinations (in-charge). Reports indicated that some institutions unsealed the Mathematics exam packets on March 20, despite the exam scheduled for the afternoon of March 21.

The ASSEB order also raised concerns that the potential for leaks might extend to the remaining subjects, as these question papers remain in custody at various examination centers across the state. Consequently, the remaining exams from March 24 to March 29 have been officially cancelled.

Das further informed PTI that an FIR has been lodged at the CID Headquarters in Guwahati, with additional cases expected to be filed at local police stations regarding the involved educational institutions.

While acknowledging that not all centers may have contributed to the leaks, he assured that a thorough investigation would pinpoint the culprits responsible for the dissemination of leaked papers on social media. Previously, a similar incident led to the cancellation of the Class 9 English annual exam in Barpeta district after the question paper surfaced online.

In Assam’s Nagaon district, the flood situation remains grim, affecting the lives of several people. The death toll in the State, due to deluge, has risen to 84.

The flood situation in Nagaon district and other parts of the State has been marginally improving, but nearly 14.39 lakh people are still affected.

In Nagaon district, nearly 79,000 people, including 20,612 children, are still affected by the deluge, as per the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).

The flood waters doused 184 villages under six revenue circles in the district and submerged 18231.8 hectares of crop area, as per the reports. The flood has claimed 84 lives so far across the State this year.

Rita Sahani and her family members, residents of the Jakhalabandha area, have been living in a small makeshift tent on a barricade for the last 10 days after the flood waters of the Brahmaputra River flooded her house.

Speaking to national media, Sahani said that there is still floodwater inside their house and they cannot go there. When the floodwater entered their house, they could not take out any household items, she added. Since the rain has continued, they have been facing a lot of problems. She said some food items from the administration have been received. In this situation, they cannot go out to do some work and uncertainty remains there.

Apart from Sahani and her family, many people in the area have been facing similar problems as the flood waters submerged their houses and they have been forced to live in makeshift tents on the embankment.

Another local resident, M Chouhan, also expressed his ordeal and said that all the household items, clothes, and everything got destroyed in the flood. They have a family of 15 members and they are living here now, he added. They have been facing many problems due to the flood, he further said.

Kalipad Das, another victim of the flood, said that he doesn’t know when he and his family will be able to return to their home because the entire area has been flooded.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said a bill to ban polygamy practices will be introduced in the state during the upcoming budget session of the assembly.

Addressing a press conference, the chief minister said the draft of the bill is being scrutinised by the Law Department at present.

He further stated that we are lining up to end polygamy in the state in the upcoming budget session of the assembly. He added it is with the Law Department for vetting.

On the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) to be considered in an upcoming special four-day session of the Uttarakhand assembly starting from February 5, Sarma said his government was looking forward to the legislation on UCC.   

He said his government will monitor them and see if they can implement it fully. We have time to examine it and proceed accordingly, Sarma said while addressing the press conference.

According to reports, the budget session of the Assam assembly will start on February 5 and conclude on February 28.

In May 2023, the government constituted a four-member committee headed by retired Guwahati High Court judge Rumi Phukan to examine the legislative competence of the state legislature to enact a law to ban polygamy and asked the panel to submit a report within two months.

In August 2023, a panel headed by Phukan submitted its report on the polygamy ban possibility to the Sarma.

After receiving the report, Sarma said the committee had told him that the state has such a right, but the legislation must be given final assent by the President and not the governor.

The chief minister further said that since existing state laws on Muslim marriages don’t specify the eligible age of the brides and groom, the committee also suggested keeping a provision to mention the eligible age for marriage for all in the proposed polygamy law so that there is no lack of clarity with that and rules under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.