A recent leak of a question paper for Tribhuvan University’s (TU) Master of Business (MBS) first-semester examination has renewed concerns over Nepal’s education sector, particularly the credibility and integrity of its examination system.
On July 24, the exam paper reportedly circulated in a WhatsApp group named “MBS First Semester Section C” just five minutes after the examination began, the Kathmandu Post reported.
The alleged breach came to light on July 25 after a student in the group took screenshots of the exchange and shared them with a popular Facebook page.
The screenshots led the Cyber Bureau of Nepal Police to arrest a teacher identified as Sandip Singh, known among his students as “Sulab Sir,” for allegedly circulating the question paper.
Senior Superintendent Anupam Shumsher Rana, spokesperson for the Central Investigation Bureau, said police launched an investigation into Singh for allegedly violating examination confidentiality provisions under the Education Act 1971.
However, Singh claimed he had merely forwarded a question paper sent to him by an unidentified individual during questioning and defended his actions, saying he only intended to help.
A recurring incident
Although this is the first reported exam paper leak linked to the country’s largest university, Nepal has witnessed several examination breaches over the past few years.
On May 12 this year, the Cyber Bureau arrested two individuals over the leak of Grade 12 Management and Science examination papers conducted by the National Examination Board.
Authorities detained counselling officer Nirajan Shahi and IT officer Prem Kumar Shrestha, who allegedly printed the question papers and gave them to Shahi before the examinations.
In December 2014, the question paper for the Medical Education Common Entrance Examination for bachelor-level programmes was leaked, forcing authorities to cancel the examination and making it one of the country’s most prominent exam scandals.
These recurring question paper leaks have raised concerns among educators and experts, highlighting serious weaknesses in examination security and confidentiality mechanisms.
Experts blame commercialisation of education sector
Educationist Binay Kumar Kusiyait attributed the recurring leaks to the growing commercialisation of the country’s education sector over the past two decades.
“The primary focus of educational institutions had shifted from producing quality students to finding ways to commercialise education and artificially inflate results. This is the root of the problem,” he told Kantipur.
“When the focus shifts entirely to the quality of results rather than the quality of students, unethical practices are bound to happen. The drive to earn more money by spending money naturally leads to this.”
Kusiyait added that TU’s failure to strengthen its monitoring mechanisms and improve its question paper distribution system had also contributed to such incidents.
Other experts also said weak oversight and political interference in the sector have allowed such leaks to recur.
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Calls for institutional reforms
In response, educators urged educational institutions and relevant authorities to strengthen the country’s examination system.
Sudarshan Dhungana, an associate professor at Nepal Sanskrit University, emphasised the need to revise existing examination policies and guidelines to prevent similar incidents in the future.
“Some changes are essential in the rules, guidelines, and policies made for traditional examinations. Those in responsible positions must fulfil their responsibilities by maintaining official confidentiality within the examination policies, rules and guidelines,” he told Ratopati.
He also urged educational institutions to provide training for professors, staff and others involved in examinations, while penalising those who fail to uphold examination confidentiality.
Experts expressed optimism that strengthening the country’s examination system would help ensure fairer and more credible examinations while increasing public trust in educational institutions.
Government vows action as TU forms probe panel
Following these calls, Minister for Education and Sports Sasmit Pokharel pledged that those responsible for the leak would be held accountable.
He also assured that the government would eradicate political interference in universities nationwide over the next four years and implement a merit-based system for appointments, promotions and transfers, Khabar Hub reported.
Meanwhile, TU’s Faculty of Management formed a committee led by Professor Dr. Achyut Gyawali, with Deputy Director of the Monitoring Directorate Pushkar Raikhala and Central Examination Steering Committee member Mahesh Raj Ojha as members.
The Examination Control Division said the committee would determine whether the question paper had been leaked, how the breach occurred, who was responsible and what legal action should be taken.
The incident comes amid broader regional concerns over examination security, following the recent leak of a medical entrance examination paper in India that triggered widespread youth-led protests and intensified scrutiny of examination systems.
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