UPTET 2019: Smart phones banned for even magistrates

UPTET 2019: The application for the UPTET-2019 will get under way from November 1 and end on November 20. The exam is scheduled to be held at centres spread across the state on December 22.

In a move aimed at sending the message of zero tolerance to unfair means during exams, the state government has decided to not allow even magistrates supervising the exams to carry smart phones inside the centres this time around, inform officials.

UPTET 2019(HT File)

The application for the UPTET-2019 will get under way from November 1 and end on November 20. The exam is scheduled to be held at centres spread across the state on December 22.

Officials claim that ban on smart phones inside exam centres has been introduced specially to nullify any attempt at any level to sabotage the efforts of conducting free and fair exam.

The government order issued for the exams for lakhs of candidates vying to become assistant teachers in government-run primary schools on October 17 by special secretary Dev Pratap Singh makes plain that centre managers, nominated observers besides static and sector magistrates too would not be allowed to take smart mobile phones inside the exam centres.

A similar ban on brining smart phones to exam centres already exists on class invigilators supervising the exam.

Anil Bhushan Chaturvedi, secretary of Prayagraj-headquartered Exam Regulatory Authority, the body entrusted with the task of conducting the exam, said as per the new rule the centre managers, nominated observers and magistrates can, however, bring those mobile phones with them which have regular keypads, lack a camera and do not fall under the category of smart phones.

The rules restrict the candidates to using just black/blue ball point pens. They will also not be allowed to bring any kind of study material, calculator, pen drive, log table, watch, pieces of paper and any type of electronic device, the guidelines make clear.

Any candidate found possessing these banned items would have their candidature cancelled and get debarred for all future exams. The guidelines issued by the state government make clear that only state government-run and government-aided colleges and schools would be made centres for the UPTET-2019.

Only owing under unavoidable circumstances would an unaided school or college be made an exam centre but that too only after the reason cited for it is verified. The guidelines also limit the exam centres to be situated in only urban areas so as to ensure adequate security arrangements. Reputed CBSE and CISCE affiliated schools enjoying good reputation can, however, also be made centres if needed.