CBSE Issues Advisory on QR Codes in Question Papers, Warns Against Misinterpretation

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has released a new advisory to dispel confusion over the use of QR codes on its question papers. The board denied misinformation being spread on social media and also clarified that the codes are not to be interpreted as clickable or scannable web links. 

QR Codes Are For Internal Use Only 

The QR codes in question papers are used for administrative purposes only, including authentication and tracking, said the CBSE. They are not intended to take users to URLs. "These codes will be used as part of an internal system for authentication/tracking and the integrity of the exam and will not open up as web links if the codes are scanned," the board said in an official statement. Instead, they just display the desired text. Yet, when a user chooses to "Google" the text on the page, Google search recommends some other words. This is not the case with normal browsers like Chrome. 

The board has made clear that the scanning of these codes does not lead to external websites or contain hidden information, although there has been much belief to that effect. 

CBSE Flags Algorithm-Driven Misinterpretations 

The board also pointed out how a QR code is misinterpreted when people type the QR code strings on the internet. "It's been noted that when users try to interpret or search QR code strings on the web, they are presented with unrelated search results, including those with mentions of any individual or entity. Such web results are ordered by algorithms and CBSE or its examination process has no role in the same." CBSE said these results are a search engine algorithm-driven and should not be associated with the board or its exam system in any way. 

Advisory For Students, Parents, And Media 

The board has appealed to all its stakeholders – students, parents, teachers and media houses – to exercise restraint in what they say. It requested them to "avoid sharing unsubstantiated statements or assumptions, verify the facts from the official CBSE communications before spreading them and be wary of such content that could impact the credibility of the institution."

CBSE said responsible communication was necessary to maintain trust in the public system.

In a related development, the board had earlier warned teachers engaged in the Class X and Class XII paper evaluation not to post any misleading content on social networking sites. It said these types of posts “may cause an unwarranted panic and rumours among the students and general public.”