151 HSC students booked for malpractice in Odisha on Day 1

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Feb 22:

The elaborate measures put in place by Odisha Board of Secondary Education (BSE) to check malpractice during the annual High School Certificate (HSC) examination seems to have failed to yield desired results, if the first day figures are anything to go by.

As many as 151 students were booked for malpractice on the first day of the matriculation examination, board sources said.

The Board has made elaborate arrangement for smooth conduct of the matriculation examination. In the Maoist-affected areas, the examination was conducted under strict vigil.

“Special arrangements have been made in Maoist-infested areas for smooth conduct of examinations. Besides, measures have been initiated to ensure effective management of the examination,” School and Mass Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra.

On the first day, students turned up at their respective examination centres to take the test for the First Language (Odia/others) which began at 9 am and ended at 11.40 am. About 30 mins before the examination started, the students were provided with OMR (Optical Mark Recognition) sheets. Objective and subjective question papers were provided to students at 8.45 am.

The examinees attempted the objective questions from 9 am to 10 am and appeared the subjective paper from 10 am onwards.

Notably, the students will be appearing the papers from 9 am to 11.40 am except for mathematics paper in which students will be allowed 15 mins extra.

The examination beginning today will end on March 4. This year 6, 01,348 students are appearing in the annual examination at 2882 centres. Of them 5, 63, 220 students are regular students and 26, 023 students are ex-regular students.