Odisha Plus II Exam Under CCTV Surveillance From March 1, Minister Urges Striking Teachers To Cooperate

Bhubaneswar: Arrangements have been made to install CCTV cameras at all the centres for the annual Plus II examinations being conducted by Odisha’s Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE) from March 1.

Announcing this in Bhubaneswar on Monday, School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash said the examination will be held under CCTV surveillance to ensure transparency.

Elaborate arrangements have been made for smooth conduct of the annual Plus II board examinations starting from March 1. All practical examinations are over and question papers have been sent to question hubs across the state, Dash told reporters.

Regarding the ongoing strike by over 4000 teachers, the minister urged them to extend cooperation during the examinations.

Noting that he has already appealed to the agitating teachers to cooperate in the examinations, Dash said they should take the future of the students into consideration. “I am hopeful that they will cooperate,” he said.

The Minister further said that the demands of the agitating teachers of 662 category colleges have been discussed at the level of the Chief Secretary.

The striking teachers have also threatened to boycott the examinations and stay away from invigilation as well as evaluation of papers if their demands are not met.

Sources said the exams for Plus 2 Science stream will begin from March 1, the exams for Commerce and Arts streams will begin on March 2. Similarly, the vocational studies examinations will commence on March 3.

Teachers are on strike seeking remuneration at par with others under Odisha (Payment of Grant-in-Aid to the Non-Government Aided Degree Colleges, Aided Junior Colleges and Aided Higher Secondary Schools) Grant-in-Aid Order, 2022.

As their strike entered the 15^th day on Monday, the protesting teachers have made it clear that they will not undertake invigilation duty.