BENGALURU: Second-year Pre-University (PU) Board examination began across the state on Thursday. Of the 5.33 lakh students, 5.1 lakh wrote their first language examination, with Karnataka State Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) reporting 95.55 per cent attendance.
In all, 23,771 students were absent. While Udupi district recorded the highest student attendance of 98.99 per cent, Bidar recorded the lowest of 90.49 per cent. Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts registered 95.73 per cent and 96.8 per cent, respectively. KSEAB Chairman Gopalakrishna H N told TNIE that two incidents of exam malpractice, one at Yadgiri and the other at Belagavi, were reported.
A source in the Education Department said that there had been no major incidents related to wearing of hijab in the state. Earlier, Minister for School Education B C Nagesh stated that students wearing hijab will not be allowed inside the examination halls.
However, some girls, who entered the examination halls wearing hijab, agreed to remove it after the authorities persuaded them to do so. Sources said one such case had been reported in Malleswaram, where a student agreed to remove the hijab after her principal asked her to do so.
The board had set up 1,109 centres across the state. Nagesh said prohibitory orders were imposed around the centres for the peaceful conduct of the examination. The minister visited some centres in his Tiptur constituency.