New Delhi: 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, in what appeared to be a classic internet prank known as “rickrolling”.

The mathematics board examination was conducted on March 9. After the exam, images of the question paper circulated on social media, with some students claiming that scanning the QR code printed on the paper redirected them to the 1987 song's video on YouTube.

QR codes are typically included on board exam papers as a security feature to verify the authenticity of the question paper in case of a suspected breach.

CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj said several security features are incorporated in the question papers, including QR codes for authentication.

“In a few question paper sets, it appears that when one of the QR codes is scanned, it links to a YouTube video. However, it is confirmed that the question papers are genuine and the security of the examination remains uncompromised,” he said.

The board said it has taken the matter seriously and is examining the issue to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in the future.