Bihar: Viral video of exam papers in water triggers row; officials reject negligence claims

A viral video showing question papers and answer sheets lying in rainwater at an education centre in Bihar's Buxar district is doing rounds on social media. It has raised concern over handling of confidential examination material ahead of the state's quarterly school examinations. The video shows bundles of sealed examination material inside a waterlogged school campus, with people attempting to move them to a safer place. The incident drew sharp reactions online, with many users questioning whether proper arrangements had been made to protect the papers from heavy rainfall.

Reports suggest that the examination material was meant for the Bihar School Examination Board's (BSEB) July 2026 quarterly examinations for Classes 9, 10 and 12. School heads were reportedly informed that the question papers and answer sheets had reached a designated distribution centre in Buxar. They were supposed to collect it before the examinations.

The viral video comes at a time when concerns over examination security remain high across the country following incidents of paper leaks and irregularities in several competitive examinations. In a latest update, education officials have denied that the incident was caused by negligence or that the examination process was affected.

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Sequence of events

According to The Indian Express, the Buxar district education department said the viral footage was recorded while question papers and answer sheets were being distributed to schools during an unexpected spell of heavy rain. The department maintained that the examination materials remained safe despite the rainfall. While talking to IE, officials rejected claims circulating on social media that confidential examination material had been left unattended in rainwater due to negligence. They said that the viral video presented an incomplete picture of the situation.

Explaining the sequence of events to IE, the department said the question papers and answer booklets for the July 2026 quarterly examinations had reached the district by June 27. Since M.P. High School in Buxar had been designated as a centre for the police constable recruitment examination on June 28, the examination materials were shifted to Rajkiya Buniyadi Vidyalaya as a precaution and stored there securely. Schools across the district began collecting the question papers and answer sheets from the centre on June 30.

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The controversy has renewed concerns about the storage, transportation and distribution of confidential examination material, particularly during the monsoon season.

BSEB has not revised the quarterly examination schedule following the incident. Officials said the examinations were conducted smoothly as planned.