Fact Check: Viral video shows mass copying at an LLB exam centre in UP but not during IAS exam
Cheating in exams involves dishonest practices to gain an unfair advantage including the use of support materials to;
Mass cheating
Cheating in exams involves dishonest practices to gain an unfair advantage including the use of support materials to write, communicating with others during the exam, allowing others to take the exam on your behalf, etc. In India, cheating in exams can lead to severe penalties, including imprisonment and heavy fines depending on the severity of the organised cheating. The IAS exams are prestigious and conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) India to recruit individuals for various civil servants, including IAS, IPS IFS etc. This exam has high-level competition with lakhs of candidates appearing around the country.
Meanwhile, a video showing candidates at an exam centre, indulging in mass copying, is shared virally on social media with the claim that the video shows mass cheating at an IAS exam centre in Uttar Pradesh. Users shared this video on X with the caption “IAS Exam centers of UP, Bihar, Jharkhand !!! The future of Indian governance. New India”
Here is the archive link for the claim.
Fact Check:
The claim is Misleading. The video shows mass cheating at an LLB exam centre in March 2024 in Barabanki, UP. When we extracted keyframes from the viral video and searched using Google reverse image search, we found videos published by India Today and Aaj Tak too.
India Today shared screenshots from the viral video in its article published on March 1, 2024, stating that in a shocking case, cheating has emerged from a college in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, where students were caught while blatantly copying during an LLB examination. The video of students’ cheating went viral on social media. It depicts students openly cheating in the presence of teachers. In the video, students are seen with guides and cheat sheets, writing answers on their desks during the exam. The situation escalated into a commotion, with reports of a fight breaking out. Authorities swiftly responded to the incident. A total of 26 students were apprehended for cheating during the examination. Additionally, 12 students were caught cheating at Avadh Law College and 25 at TRC during the second shift of exam.
The same video can be seen here published on India Today.
Aaj Tak also shared the same video on February 29, 2024, with the title in Hindi “Uttar Pradesh के Barabanki में LLB प
An article published by Zee News states that in the viral video, it can be clearly seen how students are taking the LLB exam with guides and notes. In the video, a young man alleged that mass cheating is taking place during the LLB exam in City Law College. Law college students are taking the LLB exam with the help of guides and notes. At the same time, after this video went viral, there has been an uproar.
Therefore, the viral video does not show mass cheating during IAS exam in UP, it was witnessed during LLB exam in Barabanki, UP. The claim is Misleading.