State secure about arrangements for board exams

As Higher Secondary students in Tamil Nadu prepare fervently for the board exams starting today, officials are gearing up to ensure foolproof security, to avoid any untoward incidents including a leak of question papers. 

The Higher Secondary School examinations will be conducted between 10 am to 1.15 pm from March 2 to 31.  The students will appear for Part-I, Language paper today. The SSLC exams will be held from March 8 to 20 between 9.15 am to 12 pm. 

Speaking to DTNext , Director of School Education S Kannappan said, “For the 145 centres in the city, a Department Chief Superintendent, Department Officers and Hall/Room Supervisor have been appointed by the Chief Education Officers (CEO). There will be police personnel on duty at all centres and schools during the time of exams. We have ensured that the schools have sufficient electricity, drinking water, toilet facility and that the environment is clean. We also request the candidates and administration to be more vigilant in the coming days. At sensitive centres in the districts, the question papers will be kept in a double locker.” 

Chief Education Officer Anita said, “The question papers are in safe places with armed police protection. Students with disabilities will be given required facilities as per governments directions. In the city, there are no centres from where malpractices were reported in the recent past. Nothing will go wrong in the city.” 

Deputy Commissioner for Education, Chennai Corporation, M Govinda Rao said, “The procedures regarding the security arrangements have been given to our staff. It will be well-managed and well organised. There is a foolproof mechanism to preserve the questions papers. The students usually find English and Maths papers to be tough.” 

According to officials at the Directorate of School Examination, the CEO will be escorted by a police team while taking the question papers to the respective centres. Each district will have one or two sensitive centres. A strong security team has been formed to ensure that the exams are conducted without any issues. There are 20 flying squad teams, comprising of 400 teachers, mainly Physical Education directors and teachers. Moreover, 16 Inspectors of matriculation schools will 

be part of the vigilance team. 

In all, 67 District Education Officers (DEO) and 32 Chief Education Officers will be part of the security team. Apart from this, a separate team of professors from Anna University, who are teaching Mathematics, Physics, Biology and Chemistry will be inspecting the venues during the exams.  Collectors, Revenue squad and Revenue staff will also act as externals or third party. “The CEOs and DEOs will ensure that the question papers reach the centres and venues safely.  They will collect the answer sheets as well. Generators have been placed in all venues to avoid lack of electricity during the exams,” said P K Illamaran , President of Tamil Nadu Teachers Association.