BENGALURU: After the loss of face twice over question paper leaks, the State Department of Pre-university Education has made unprecedented security arrangements to ensure that the second PU Chemistry paper re-examination is conducted without any glitches on Tuesday. This includes deployment of armed policemen in vehicles transporting question papers to exam centres.
For the first time, the department will be taking assistance from various other departments to conduct the examination. PU department officials have been kept away from any major work related to the examination.
The Transport Department is playing a major role in the transportation of question papers to exam centres on Tuesday morning.
A highly placed source from the department told Express, “RTOs across the state are being used for examination work. They will check the condition of all vehicles before they leave the premises to avoid breakdown of the vehicle during the transportation process.”
In this regard, senior officials of the Education Department held a meeting with all the 10 RTOs in Bengaluru on Monday
morning. Explaining this, a senior official from the Transport Department said, “We have been called for this purpose for the first time. We will be escorting the question papers.”
Not just inspection, the RTOs will also do surprise checks of the vehicles at several points. Each vehicle carrying question paper bundles will be guarded with an armed policeman. “Even the RTO officials involved with examination work have been instructed not to use mobile phones during transportation work. The same procedure will be followed across the state,” a source said.
high security
For the first time, the PUE examination section staff have been completely kept away from major examination work. Officials from other departments like transport, revenue, tourism, police and the district administration are being used to conduct the re-examination. In Bengaluru, over 70 police personnel will be deployed to guard the papers. Across the state, this number goes up to to 500.
test for Minister
The Chemistry re-examination scheduled to be held on Tuesday is testing time not only for 1.79 lakh students, but also for the Primary and Secondary Education Minister Kimmane Rathnakar. As the minister has given an open statement that he would step down if there is a question paper leak again, it is an important day in his political career.