The Kerala police have initiated a preliminary probe into an array of online tutorial channels that seek to expand their subscription base and social media reach by exploiting the examination anxiety of school students and their parents.
The General Education department on Sunday (August 16, 2026) petitioned State Police Chief Ravada A. Chandrasekhar for a detailed criminal inquiry into Instagram and YouTube channels which lure students by promising them definitive clues about the mid-term Onam test papers.
An estimated 40 lakh school students from Class I to higher secondary are taking the Onam examinations, which will conclude on August 20.
Crime Branch inquiry
A senior police official said Mr. Chandrasekhar might initiate a Crime Branch inquiry and has sought a report from the Kerala Police Cyber Cell, including digital financial transactions. He said the police would also verify whether any errant teachers involved in the question-setting process were behind the racket.
He said the police were also verifying whether the channels used the lure of examination clues and leaked question papers to dupe students and parents into sharing personal information, including e-mails, phone numbers, and credit card information, as part of a wider and illegal data-harvesting operation.
Another official said the police would register cases if their inquiries reveal violations of the IT Act and infringement of the Public Examinations Act, which carry up to ten years’ imprisonment and significant fines. The police would also approach service providers to take down such fraudulent channels from social media.
Officials said some online tuition channels under scrutiny claimed to have access to question papers and offered pointers on likely areas of the school syllabus students should focus on for good grades. They said the same channels also offered question papers prepared for model examinations, raising the spectre of widespread school examination fraud.
Warns students, parents
Meanwhile, the department has warned students and parents to be vigilant about social media channels that entice them to subscribe by falsely promising advance clues about first-term question papers.
The government said the channels defeated the purpose of comprehensive school education by inducing students and parents to cut corners to achieve high grades in examinations.
Earlier, several teachers’ organisations had flagged the peril posed by such so-called “educational channels.” Their false claims, the government said, could adversely affect school academics, teaching, and exam preparation.
Published – August 16, 2026 05:06 pm IST
