BALASORE: As many as 1,19,357 students from North Odisha districts comprising Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar will appear for the annual High School Certificate (HSC) examination at 562 centres on Monday. The examination will continue till March 4.
The Board of Secondary Education (BSE) has made special arrangements for smooth conduct of the test. Deputy Secretary of BSE (north zone) Suryamani Majhi said 50 nodal centres opened in four districts to store the question papers are being guarded by armed forces round-the-clock.
The closing time of the exam has been extended by 10 minutes till 11.40 am instead of 11.30 am and the mathematics exam will end at 11.55 am. The students, who will be given question paper 10 minutes before the examination begins, have been asked to reach the centres by 8.15 am.
“Altogether 12 squads, three each in four districts, have been formed to check malpractice besides one central squad has been formed by the Board. The BSE has made special arrangement for some examination centres identified as sensitive and prone to malpractice. The squads have been directed to be extra vigilant at these centres,” he said. Besides, the BSE is also taking the help of local police to maintain law and order at the examination centres.
Meanwhile, Secretary in the School and Mass Education Department Ranjana Chopra directed the Balasore administration to install CCTV cameras in two examination centres at Gilda High School and Kharasahapur HS in Bahanaga block following allegations of possible irregularities.