Bihar topper Ganesh Kumar scam: After students who topped the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) exam were arrested two years in a row, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was forced to face the media to address everyone’s concerns. In the latest instance, Ganesh Kumar topped the Arts stream, but it was then found he had cheated his way to the top. Not only that, officials had allegedly colluded in allowing him to actually sit for the exam – he was not 24 years old but 42! Ganesh was thereafter arrested. Now, CM Nitish Kumar looked to reassure parents and others that the education system in Bihar has not been compromised. He listed a number of steps that he intends taking to clean up the system and clamp down on cheating, but also added that despite the measures taken by the state government ‘wrongdoers found a way to defeat the system,’ as reported in the Indian Express.. Here are the promised steps:

1. Nitish said that he will take it as a personal challenge to prevent such cases from reccurring. However, he said that the state has miles to go before all loopholes in the system are plugged.

2. Nitish said, ”We are taking the situation very seriously. We have to conduct the exams more effectively in the future. The state will focus on checking question paper leak and also keep a close eye on the evaluation process”.

3. The Bihar Chief Minister directed officials not to waste time and ordered a probe as well as filing of an FIR. Nitish said, ”As soon as I got to know that there was some irregularity in Ganesh Kumar’s results I ordered a probe to be initiated. Also, told officials to file a FIR and arrest those involved in the case.

4. Nitish Kumar said that the school infrastructure and the quality of teachers and education needs to be improved in the state.

5. Nitish added that the education department officials should be held responsible for non-performance.

Ganesh Kumar, this year’s Bihar Board topper in the arts stream, was arrested for forging documents. Ganesh who is a 42-year-old forged documents to appear in the exams as a 24-year-old candidate in order to secure a government job. Ganesh like Ruby Rai, who was last year’s topper from the arts stream, was unable to answer questions related to his subject when questioned.