Himachal Pradesh Class 12 English Exam Cancelled Due to Alleged Paper Leak

The Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBOSE) has cancelled the Class 12 English examination for the 2025 session across the state following reports of a paper leak. Officials confirmed the decision on Friday after an irregularity was detected at Government Senior Secondary School, Chowari, in Chamba district.

According to officials, the incident occurred when faculty members at the school mistakenly opened the Class 12 English question paper instead of the Class 10 paper. The examination schedule had allocated March 7 for the Class 10 English exam, while the Class 12 English exam was set for March 8.

On March 7, the Board received an anonymous complaint about the early unsealing of the Class 12 English question paper. The Board quickly launched an investigation and verified the claim using video evidence from the "Exam Mitra App," a monitoring system introduced to enhance examination security.

A notification issued by HPBOSE stated, "An anonymous complaint was received on 07.03.2025 regarding the premature opening of the Class 12 English question paper during the March 2025 Annual Examination at Govt. Sr. Sec. School, Chowari, Distt-Chamba. The Board has reviewed the complaint and confirmed the incident through video clips obtained via the 'Exam Mitra App,' which was introduced for the first time in this examination."

Following the confirmation, HPBOSE Secretary Vishal Sharma invoked Section 2.1.2 of the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education Examination Regulations, 1993 (amended up to July 2017), to cancel the Class 12 English examination across all examination centres in the state.

The official statement further read, "The Chairman, Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education, in exercise of powers vested under Section 2.1.2 of the H.P. Board of School Education Examination Regulations 1993 (amended up to July 2017), orders the cancellation of the Class 12 English examination of March 2025 Annual Examination at all centres across the state due to the stated reasons. A fresh date for the examination will be announced in due course."

Students have been advised to check the official HPBOSE website or contact their respective schools for further updates regarding the rescheduled examination date.