Kerala police are investigating Instagram and YouTube 'educational channels' that offer test-paper clues to lure anxious school students taking Onam mid-term examinations
Kerala police are investigating online tutorial channels that allegedly exploit student anxiety by promising leaked Onam examination papers. Authorities are looking into potential data harvesting and violations of the Public Examinations Act.
Why it matters
This highlights the growing threat of digital fraud targeting students and the challenges of regulating educational content on social media platforms.
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.
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.
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