The Uttar Pradesh government under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has implemented strict measures to ensure that board examinations in the state are conducted without any unfair practices.
The Yogi government has implemented strict measures to ensure that board exams, starting in the state from February 22 are conducted without any cheating and unfair practices. From messaging apps to social media, the activities of unruly elements will be monitored,” according to an official release from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
“If anyone is found responsible for leaking question papers, parts of question papers, or their solutions for a subject before the exam, strict action will be taken against them under the relevant laws,” it said.
The Secondary Education Council has identified sensitive and highly sensitive examination centres and districts, implementing special monitoring arrangements through STF and local notification units to prevent any untoward incidents, according to the latest release.
To curb cheating, question papers will be opened under CCTV surveillance, with armed forces and live CCTV cameras ensuring 24-hour monitoring at collection centres and strong rooms. A special team will conduct inspections.
To maintain a secure environment, the district administration has been instructed to implement precautionary measures, including imposing Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, preventing anti-social elements or outsiders from gathering within a 100-metre radius of exam centres.
Deepak Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary of Secondary Education, provided details on the board examinations, mentioning that this year’s exams in 2024 will be completed in a total of 12 working days, a significant improvement from the more than a month it used to take before 2017.
In the high school board exams, 29,47,311 students will appear, including 15,71,184 boys and 13,76,127 girls. In the intermediate board exams, 25,77,997 students will participate, including 14,28,323 boys and 11,49,676 girls. The combined total of examinees is 5,525,308, with 5,360,745 institutional and 164,563 private candidates.
Effective measures against cheating have led to a decrease in private candidates, from 353,106 in 2017 to 164,563 in 2024. Candidates from other states appearing for the exam have also dropped from 1,50,209 in 2017 to 4,905 in 2024.
The determination of examination centres is now done online, reducing the number of centres to 8,265 for the 2024 exams, making supervision and inspection more efficient.
To ensure fairness and prevent cheating, command and control centres have been established at various levels, facilitating live monitoring of examination centres. Additional Chief Secretary emphasised the strengthening of the process in the past years to ensure fair and cheat-free board exams.
Helpline numbers have been established at both state and district levels to address complaints and provide support. Special buses, uninterrupted power supply, sanitation, and emergency medical facilities are being arranged for exam centres.
New measures, including computerised identity cards, answer sheets with QR codes, and a Quick Response Team, have been implemented for the first time in the state. Trained coordinators and magistrates are ensuring proper handling of question papers and exam administration. Computerised identity cards with QR codes have been issued to room invigilators, and answer sheets feature logos and serial numbers for enhanced security.
A Quick Response Team (QRT) has been formed to monitor and take prompt action against any attempts to mislead the public or tarnish the government’s image through misleading news on social media.
With inputs from ANI.