A QR code printed on the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 mathematics question paper led to the music video of “Never Gonna Give You Up” by British singer Rick Astley. It became a classic internet prank known as “rickrolling” even as the board maintained that the security of the question paper remains uncompromised.
The mathematics board examination was held on March 9. Soon after the exam got over, images of the question paper began circulating on social media with students alleging that the QR code printed on it redirected them to the 1987 hit song’s video on YouTube.
QR codes are typically included on board exam papers for authentication and security verification.
“Many security features are provided on question papers. These include QR codes to verify the genuineness of the question paper in case of a suspected security breach. On March 9, an examination in Mathematics was conducted for class 12. In a few question paper sets, it appears that when one of the given QR codes is scanned, it links to a YouTube video,” CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj said.
Assurance to students
“It appears that this has raised concerns about the veracity of the question papers amongst concerned students and parents. It is confirmed that question papers are genuine and the security of the question paper remains uncompromised,” he added.
The board noted that while the concerns about the veracity of the question papers have been put to rest, the matter has been viewed seriously, and necessary steps are being taken by the board to ensure such issues are not repeated in future.
Political reactions
The issue was also raised by Congress’s Kerala unit, which shared a student’s video on X, sharing the story.
“The QR code on the CBSE 12th Standard Mathematics question paper to a Rickroll video on YouTube. All institutions are under the control of Modi slaves, who are not qualified to run these institutions. This is purposeful destruction of India by OG CIA agent and his gang,” the post said.
Rickroll explained
Rickrolling is an internet slang term for a prank where a user clicks a link disguised as something appealing but is instead directed to the music video for Rick Astley’s 1987 hit, “Never Gonna Give You Up”.
Published on March 10, 2026