Prayagraj, Feb. 15 -- Not a worthy practice, but still in currency for years, inserting money inside answer-sheets for various reasons, ranging from marriage to future prospects, during the UP Board exams will strike a sour note for both examinees and invigilators as action is being scaled up. The Uttar Pradesh Board has, for the first time, decided to hold both examinees and invigilators accountable for such misconduct. Messages pleading helplessness, impassioned appeals citing marriage prospects and even professions of love will not melt the hearts of the authorities. Incidents of currency notes, often tucked into answer sheets for tougher subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and English, have been reported frequently in recent years. Sometimes, Rs 500 denomination notes are found attached to the answer-sheets, people familiar with the matter said, adding that the amount could even be as low as Rs 100-200 at times, particularly in rural areas. As the 2026 high school (Class 10) and intermediate (Class 12) examinations start on February 18, the Board will treat the placement of currency notes inside answer booklets as a form of unfair means. Action will be initiated under the Uttar Pradesh Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, after fixing responsibility on the candidate as well as the room invigilator. In a circular sent to all district inspectors of schools (DIOS) on February 12, Board secretary Bhagwati Singh instructed that any such case be treated with zero tolerance. He emphasised that ensuring transparency in the compilation and evaluation of answer sheets was essential to uphold the dignity of UP Board exams. The discovered currency must be immediately deposited in the treasury as per rules and the case should be reported without delay to the DIOS for further action under the 2024 Act. In the past, messages with the notes have been funny, audacious and bizarre. In one instance, a girl appearing for the Class 12 exam in Jaunpur in 2018 had pleaded to be passed as otherwise her marriage would not be solemnised. "Guruji, pass kara dijiye, nahin toh shadi na ho payi, (Please let me pass, otherwise my marriage won't take place)," she had written. A few years before that, a student in Etawah cited "prem prasang" (context of love) and wrote that his girlfriend had already passed Class 12 and if he failed, she might look for a better partner. The practice witnessed an unusual spike in 2017, when more than two dozen cases involving Rs 2,000 notes surfaced from three districts: Ghazipur, Etawah and Faizabad. Board secretary Bhagwati Singh said the practice has been going on for decades but no sincere efforts had been initiated in previous regimes. "The practice itself amounts to being unfair as it affects the sanctity of examination. If a currency note is detected in the answer-sheet, the examinee will be declared failed and will not be allowed to appear in the remaining papers. As for the invigilators, departmental action under the Unfair Means Act would be initiated besides legal proceedings," he added. A senior official of the Board, not willing to be named, said that roughly Rs 40 lakh to Rs 50 lakh is the amount received in the form of currency notes in answer-sheets every year. "Earlier, the money went into the pockets of evaluators and centre superintendents. Fights over distribution of money have also been reported from some evaluation centres in the past. But now, the same will have to be deposited through treasury challan after informing the respective DIOS," he added. All centre superintendents at over 8,033 examination centres have been instructed to warn candidates in advance that inserting money or any objectionable material inside answer sheets constitutes grave indiscipline. Prof Chandranshu Sinha, head of the department of psychology, Allahabad University, said the practice stemmed from multiple factors, including social, economical and psychological. "Today's students are over-stressed with ever growing pressure to clear examinations. With cut-off marks on the merit list witnessing a regular hike and the stigma of failing generating severe insecurity, bribing the evaluator seems to be the last resort. Stress and uncertainty are the driving force behind such a step taken by students as, in their innocence, they see money as an incentive to achieve the task," he added....