The photo that prompted the Bihar government to crack down on students who cheated in their 10th standard board examinations and the people who helped them in Vaishali district of Bihar, was shot by a man whose name very few people know. He lives in anonymity even though publications around the world used the image to highlight the crumbling education structure in most of India's backward states.
The government arrested more than 300 across Bihar and realised a penalty of Rs 4.16 lakh, reported PTI. A total of 113 examinees have been expelled and about 150 examinees were arrested for copying on the day of the incident.
But Rajesh Kumar, who clicked the photo of people scaling a nondescript, un-plastered wall to reach answer sheets to their wards, told The Hindu newspaper that he has been "pushed into anonymity."
Kumar, who works for the local edition of a Hindi newspaper in Vaishali district, said he wasn't credited in most of the publications that carried the photo.
“I just sent my picture to my bureau office at Hajipur which was carried in the paper next day, but after that, I saw the picture in national and international publications carried with the credit line of various photo agencies,” he told The Hindu.
Kumar said he felt "humble and anonymous" but was "satisfied" that his photo created such a huge impact.
Parents and relatives of examinees who helped them cheat have also been arrested from various parts of the state in a massive anti-copying operation prompted by a reprimand from the Patna High Court. (With inputs from PTI)