Karachi: During commencement of annual matriculation exams, twenty-three students were caught using unfair means in an attempt to solve their papers by the Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) monitoring teams on Thursday. Controversy surfaced when, on the first day of the SSC Part-I exams, the mathematics question paper was allegedly leaked on social media by unknown people and later it was widely circulated on WhatsApp groups. According to the sources, Science group students were taking their maths paper in the morning shift, but as soon as the exam started, the question paper was circulated on social media. Board officials, however, are denying all such news and reports. The general group’s regular and private students attempted their civics, physiology & hygiene, history, food & nutrition and computer studies papers in the second shift. However, no reports of leaked questions emerged in this regard. A press release issued by the board authorities released a statement which stated that all the papers began and ended on time. BSEK Chairman Prof Syed Sharaf Ali Shah visited various exam centres and found everything to be according to plan. He stressed on the eradication of the cheating culture in exams. He also inspected the CCTV camera monitoring room of the exam centres and appreciated the arrangements made by the relevant authorities. He instructed the superintendents, students and staff members to comply with the COVID-19 standard operating procedures, especially the wearing of masks. The BSEK confirmed that during their surprise visits to different exam centres, the monitoring teams found 23 students to be using unfair means in an attempt to solve their papers. The Board officials have made registered cases against them. Their results will be withheld until the BSEK decides their cases.