Tampered Question Paper Packet at a Sensitive Exam Centre
You are the Junior Assistant assisting the Centre Superintendent at a CBSE affiliated school for the Class X board examination. At 8:10 a.m., 50 minutes before the examination, the custodian hands you Packet B (Mathematics, 240 booklets). The outer tamper-evident seal is intact, but the inner packet's corner is torn and re-stapled; the booklet count is 238, not 240. The strong-room register shows the packet was received 12 days ago with "seal intact" and has not been opened since. 312 candidates are seated, 48 of them from another school. The Superintendent is in the examination hall and cannot be reached immediately. The police observer is due at 8:30 a.m. You have the district examination coordinator's contact number. Need decide.
1. List the immediate actions in correct sequence before 8:30 a.m., with the rationale for each.
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Sequence matters because each step protects the integrity of the packet and the record. (1) Do not open the packet further and do not distribute booklets. Further handling destroys the physical evidence and increases confidentiality risk. (2) Send a runner or call the Superintendent immediately; the Centre Superintendent is the authorised custodian and must know before any decision. (3) Keep the packet in your direct custody or return it to the strong room under lock, and note the time and the names of everyone who handled it; this preserves the chain of custody. (4) Call the district examination coordinator and state only the facts: seal condition, count 238 against 240, register entry, time discovered. (5) Record the facts in the centre log in the presence of a witness. (6) When the police observer arrives, show the packet and the log and ask him to sign the record. Do not substitute booklets from another packet without written authorisation.
2. What should be recorded in the centre's log, and which facts should not be assumed?
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Record only observable facts: the time the packet was handed over; the names and designations of the custodian, you, and any witness; the condition of the outer and inner seals; the exact booklet count of 238; the strong-room register entry showing receipt 12 days earlier with "seal intact"; and the time the coordinator and observer were informed. Record that the packet was not opened further and that no booklets were distributed. Do not record conclusions such as "packet tampered with by staff", "two booklets stolen", or "seal was already broken on receipt". Those are inferences. The discrepancy may be a packing error, a counting error, or interference; the log should allow later investigation to distinguish them. Avoid speculating in front of candidates or staff, because that can trigger rumours and compromise the examination.
3. If the coordinator instructs "use the packet, we will send a replacement later", how should you respond?
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Do not refuse outright, but do not act on an oral instruction alone in a confidentiality-sensitive matter. Respond factually: "I will comply, but please confirm in writing or on a recorded call that Packet B is authorised for use despite the torn and re-stapled inner seal and the shortage of two booklets. I will note your name, the time, and the direction in the centre log and have the police observer sign it." Ask whether the two missing booklets should be met from a spare packet and, if so, record the packet number and count. This response respects the coordinator's authority while creating an auditable trail. If the coordinator cannot be reached before distribution, keep the packet sealed and inform the Superintendent; do not distribute on your own authority.