LAHORE: An emergency meeting of the Punjab Boards Committee of Chairman (PBCC), attended by the chairpersons of all the nine boards in Punjab was held to review the examination matters in Punjab.
The meeting attendees agreed to adopt a uniform policy to curb cheating practices in the examination process. The session was jointly chaired by the secretary of higher education and the chairman of PBCC in Lahore.
This meeting in the provincial capital was conducted after the discovery of cheating committed during the 2024 Matric (Class-9) Annual Examinations.
The education secretary announced during the meeting that exam centers would not be set up in small alleyways and that private invigilators would not be used for exam-related tasks. Schools, colleges, and wedding halls, will be selected for the examination centers, the PBCC chairman continued.
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The decision came after it was discovered during unexpected raids by BISE Lahore Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa and Punjab School Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat that private individuals had been hired as exam-related staff at certain exam centers.
During these visits, it was also discovered that numerous centers under the control of BISE Lahore had received numerous reports of exam cheating. The provincial government took the issue seriously, and a cabinet committee led by provincial minister Bilal Yasin was established to look into the matter of exam cheating including and other districts of the province.
During the meeting, the education secretary ordered stern action against anyone discovered to be involved in cheating and stated that question papers would be watermarked to prevent leaks. The officials were also instructed to compile a list of people who were not doing their jobs well.