Altogether 36 students were expelled for resorting to unfair means on the first day of the class X board (High School Leaving Certificate) examination conducted by the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (Seba).

The highest number of students was expelled in Dhubri 21 followed by five in Hailakandi, four in Nagaon, three in Lakhimpur, two in Darrang and one in Goalpara.

Seba chairman Ramesh Chandra Jain said a committee of the board will decide the quantum of punishment.

Altogether 358,446 students are appearing for the HSLC and Assam High Madrassa (AHM) examination which has commenced from Monday in 860 examination centres amid tight security.

Of the candidates, 348,739 will appear for the HSLC examination and 9,707 for the AHM examination.

In Dhubri, apart from 21 students who were expelled, one Arabic teacher identified as Joynal Abedin of Chirakhowa High School was also arrested for allowing the candidate to adopt unfair means in examination hall.

Dhubri inspector of school-cum-district examination officer Saju Kumar Yadav, said legal action as well as departmental proceeding has already been initiated against the alleged teacher.

Earlier, Seba had announced that if any student was found resoting to any malpractice during the board examinations, he or she would be expelled for a period of three years.

Students were left confused over an error in the English question paper which was held on Monday.

The question asked to write an application to grant half holiday on “Kali Bihu” of Assam for five marks created confusion as no such type of festival is celebrated in Assam.

The students thought whether it is Kati Bihu or Kali Puja.

Retired assistant head master of Garhmarah High School, Biren Chandra Saikia, said the person who was responsible for the error must be punished like the students who were expelled for adopting unfair means.

Additional reporting by Rajiv Konwar in Guwahati, Mukesh Kumar Singh in Dhubri and Sanjoy Hazarika in Bokakhat