Patna: Bihar Class 12 Arts ‘topper’ Ruby Rai, whose lack of knowledge about her subjects was exposed on camera, did not appear for a re-examination which was taken on Friday.
Rai, who had said on camera to a news channel that she had studied ‘Prodical Science’ which was about cooking, failed to appear due to ‘health reasons’.
Read: Toppers from Bihar cannot answer basic questions about their subjects
According to a report, 14 students were asked to reappear for the test by the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) after the TV sting. While 13 turned up, Ruby Rai’s parents reportedly informed the board that she is not well and unable to appear for the re-exam.
Rai had secured 444 marks out of 500 in the Arts stream. However, on camera she did not even appear to know the number of subjects in her course.
Read: 'Political science is about food': Bihar toppers to retake exam after gaffe
BSEB chairman Lalkeshwar Prasad said that action will be taken against those who failed to appear for the exam, to cancel their result.
Another student, Saurabh Shrestha from the Science stream, who had secured 485 out of 500, was also caught on camera failing to answer basic questions.
Saurabh’s father had initially told a TV channel that said his son had gone to Kota in Rajasthan to prepare for the medical exams and thus might not be able to attend the retest. "My son has gone for an interview. As soon as gets a mode of conveyance, he will come back. If he doesn't, then we are helpless," he said as he stoon next to a car with an RJD flag.
However, Saurabh seems to have eventually appeared for the retest. "All the toppers, except Ruby Rai, appeared for re-examination at the board office here," a BSEB official was quoted as saying. The 13 students appeared before a panel of experts and the anti-corruption wing of the BSEB.
Bihar Education Minister Ashok Choudhary said action would be taken against officials found to be allowing fraud to take place.
Ironically, the BSEB had claimed that the drastically reduced pass percentage in the Bihar boards this year showed that there had been no cheating.
