BENGALURU: The long-awaited SSLC examinations for more than 8.76 lakh students in the state commenced on Monday with festive fervour across the state. The examinations will be held on two days -- with the core paper on Monday and language papers on July 22.
Across the state, examination centres set up a grand entry for students, with balloons, decorations and running lights in some places.
Transport department personnel even ran dedicated buses for SSLC students.
Dedicated buses were also arranged for Kerala students at Talapadi check post near Mangaluru. Students were seen waiting at the bus stand between rain showers.
In Sirsi, huge umbrellas were set up near the entrance for students and examination personnel checking and sanitising them.
Health workers in PPEs ran nasal swab tests for students who travelled from Goa to their exam centres.
Students in other places were checked for temperature and made to sanitise their hands upon entry. Scouts and guides teachers and students were seen at examination centres, helping maintain the safety protocols such as social distancing and hand sanitisation.
Students from VSM English School Rajajinagar, Bengaluru, who were at the examination centre said they were happy to write the exams as they can earn marks in their own right and pass. "We don't want to become COVID-19 pass," said a student.
A government school in Nanajanagoodu put up a banner welcoming students to 'Pariksha Habba' (examination festival) and decorated the premises. Examination staffers were seen welcoming the students with roses.
Loudspeakers were used to announce instructions on the premises of examination centres while students were seen in queues at a distance from each other.
Clear instructions were given to student to use blue or black dark pen for marking the answers on the OMR sheet.
Although three subjects were clubbed for the three-hour examination, marking (evaluation) for the subjects will be separate. Mathematics, science and social science have their own OMR sheets although held at the same stretch, said an examination staffer.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Suresh Kumar also visited examination centres in Bengaluru and spoke to students before the commencement of the exam.
A maximum of 12 students were allowed to sit in each examination hall.