Bhubaneswar: The annual Matriculation examination conducted by the Board of Secondary Education (BSE) commenced today across Odisha, with more than 5.12 lakh students appearing for the test.

As per official sources, a total of 5,12,437 students are sitting for the Class X examination, which is being conducted at 3,029 centres in all 30 districts of the state. The exams will continue till March 6.

On the first day, students are writing the First Language papers, which include Odia, Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, Telugu, and English.

The BSE has taken extensive measures to ensure a smooth and fair examination process. A total of 314 nodal centres have been set up across the state, and all exam centres are under CCTV surveillance. AI-enabled cameras have been installed at both exam venues and nodal centres for strict monitoring.

To prevent malpractice, a four-tier squad has been deployed, and a control room has been established at the board’s headquarters to oversee real-time proceedings through live streaming.

Each question paper has a unique serial number to trace any potential leaks. The question papers were dispatched on February 12 and reached the exam centres by February 19.

The evaluation process is scheduled to begin on March 19, with designated nodal centres in each district overseeing the process.