Patna:
More than 200 students have been expelled after being caught cheating in the Class 12 board exam in the past three days.
Nearly a dozen parents who helped them use unfair means were also arrested, an official said on Tuesday.
Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) chairman Rajmani Prasad said, "the board has instructed officials concerned to take action for free and fair exam."
An official said that nearly 50 students were expelled last Saturday, the first day of exam. As many as 159 students were expelled on Monday and nearly half a dozen were expelled on Tuesday.
The intermediate (Class 12th) exam began at 882 centres amid tight security and indefinite strike by non-teaching employees of colleges in the state.
"The students were expelled on charges of adopting unfair means and a dozen parents or guardians were arrested for abetment," the official said.
According to reports, even teachers deployed at exam centres and policemen were found helping the students.
This year 981,778 students, including an all time high of 410,662 girl students, across Bihar appeared for the Class 12th exams, board officials said.
The BSEB, which conducts the examinations, said it has made elaborate arrangements for peaceful and fair exams. But there are already reports of widespread cheating from Patna, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Gaya, Patna, Jehanabad and Bhagalpur.