New Delhi ( CNN ) The quest to be educated in India has literally scaled new heights . Images of parents and family members clambering up school buildings and clinging on window ledges to pass cheat sheets to their children have left authorities in despair . The incident took place on Wednesday in the state of Bihar , where students were writing their year-end grade 10 examinations . Examples of cheating incidents are not hard to find in India . But , even compared to previous events , this seems to be unprecedented in its blatancy . Bihar Education Minister PK Shahi told reporters that children wo n't learn if they 're constantly helped by family members . `` Government can only hold fair examinations with the help of the parents , society and the children , '' he said . `` This is a collective responsibility . '' In a developing economy like India , education is a precious commodity . With more than 1.2 billion people , proper schooling could hold the key for much of the population to get out of a vicious cycle of poverty . Earlier this week , a father in the city of Mathura was caught strapping his 8-year old daughter to a motorcycle after she refused to attend school to take her assessment . Tied with a multi-strand rope to the back of a bike , onlookers captured images of the trussed girl , her bare feet hanging low , scraping the asphalt . According to local police officials , the girl 's parents offered her several incentives , such as chocolates and toys to entice her , however when the girl was still reluctant , her father decided to take matters in his own hands . After photos started making the rounds on social media , police officials took the man into custody and charged him with `` breach of the peace . '' He is now out on bail . `` Even after he got out , the father showed no remorse . He has five children to feed and he believes the only way they can get out of this poverty trap is through education , '' a senior police official handling the case told CNN . The flaws in India 's education system are well-documented . The country has a literacy rate of only 74 % , compared to 95 % in China . Women suffer particularly badly here ; only 64 % have formal education . Earlier this year , Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a nationwide campaign urging parents to send their children , especially daughters , to school and properly educate them . According to the United Nations , India has the largest youth population in the world , with more than a quarter of citizens aged between 10 and 24 .
Images of parents sneaking their children cheat sheets have dumbfounded many in India . The practice is illegal and punishable by up to three years in jail but the government has not done anything about it.