Bhubaneswar: The annual High School Certificate (HSC) examination began across Odisha on Thursday amid tight security.
As many as 5,61,979 students are appearing for the matriculation examination being conducted by the Board of Secondary Education (BSE) at 3,082 centres across the state.
The BSE and the School and Mass Education Department have made elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the examination in a fair and disciplined manner.
Officials said question papers were dispatched from designated nodal centres and reached examination centres within the stipulated time. The question paper packets were opened in the presence of the centre superintendent and students to maintain transparency.
The personnel engaged in examination duties have been barred from using mobile phones during the exams. To curb malpractice, a three-tier squad system has been introduced. Special teams are also visiting centres to monitor the situation.
School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond has said that question papers feature QR codes and watermarks to prevent tampering or paper leaks. CCTV cameras are installed at examination centres along with AI-enabled surveillance at key locations and 322 nodal centres for real-time monitoring to create a fair, inclusive, and stress-free examination environment for all students appearing for the Matric exams, he noted.
“This time too, the exams will be conducted very smoothly. Besides CCTV cameras, police and flying squads have been deployed at the centres to prevent malpractices. There is also a complete ban on mobile phones and other electronic gadgets inside exam centres for candidates and staff,” he said, expressing confidence that these safeguards will help students achieve good results.
The exam, which will be held in a single shift, from 9 am to 11.30 am till March 2.
Special provisions have been made for differently-abled candidates, who will receive an extra 50 minutes to complete their papers. These students can utilise scribes provided by the examination centres or bring their own, provided they are from a lower class than the Class X.
