CHENNAI: A total of 8.27 lakh students are set to appear for the Class 12 public examinations and 9.09 lakh for the Class 10 examinations this year. School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Monday held a review meeting with department officials to ensure the examinations are conducted without any complaints.
According to data from the school education department, of the 8,27,475 Class 12 students taking the exam, 27,783 are private candidates. For the Class 10 examinations, 9,09,002 students will appear, comprising 26,196 private candidates.
The department also said 281 prison inmates will appear for the Class 12 examinations and 395 for the Class 10 examinations. Meanwhile, 25,051 candidates will write the Class 11 arrear examinations, including 5,944 private candidates.
Around 49,000 teachers will be deployed for examination-related duties each day, apart from over 4,900 flying squad members who will be on duty to prevent malpractice.
Poyyamozhi said following complaints last year about ineligible candidates using the scribe facility meant for disabled students and to ensure teachers are fully involved in examination duties, the department has introduced a new system of appointing trained volunteers as scribes, replacing subject teachers who earlier performed the role. He also introduced a new A4-size logarithmic table book with larger fonts for use in examinations.
Candidates appearing for Accountancy will be permitted to use ordinary non-programmable calculators from this year. To verify the residential addresses of private candidates and ensure they appear for examinations within their respective districts, Aadhaar verification has been introduced and details have been uploaded in the system, the department said.
Responding to requests from teachers to install CCTV cameras in examination centres, the minister said the proposal would be considered.