CUTTACK: The Board of Secondary Education (BSE) has made elaborate arrangements for smooth conduct of the annual High School Certificate (HSC) Examination-2019 that will begin from Friday.  
Taking note of the question paper leak incidents during the HSC Examination last year, the BSE has further tightened the precautionary measures to prevent such incident.

To curb malpractice and ensure free, fair and transparent examination, 44 special squads and 58 flying squads have been constituted at different District Education Office (DEO) levels. Besides, six zonal squads have been formed.

While the School and Mass Education Department has formed 30 squads, each for one district, all the district collectors have been asked to form special squads through Tehsildars and BDOs and inspect the examination centres, said BSE President Jahan Ara Begum.

Question papers, answer sheets and other document for the first three days’ examinations have already been sent through 701 dispatch teams to 304 Nodal Centres including 19 nodal centres set up at different police stations in remote areas in the first phase by February 19, she said. Besides some sensitive examination centres, 285 nodal centres are under tight security and CCTV surveillance, she added.

Question papers will reach examination centres between 8 am and 8.30 am on each day of the examination. While the first seal will be opened jointly by examination centre Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent at 9.30 am, the final seal will be opened in the examination hall at 9.45 am with the witness of two examinees, said Controller of Examination Nihar Ranjan Mohanty.

Two Control Rooms have also been set up at BSE head office having telephone numbers 0671-2412059 and 0671-2412060 which will operate from 7 am to 8 pm.While 5,72,699 students will appear at HSC examination, 12,012 candidates will write State Open School Certificate (SOSC) and 3,009 students will appear at Madhyama examination at 2,953 examination centres across the State.

Special arrangements have been made in Angul to facilitate three juvenile offenders to appear at HSC and two other jail inmates at SOSC examination.