2026 exams: UP Board flags 18 sensitive districts, to provide centres’ list to STF, LIU

The UP Board is preparing for 2026 exams, focusing on integrity by combating solver gangs and finalizing 8,033 centers for 52.3 lakh students.

The Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad aka UP Board is preparing for its twin responsibilities ahead of the 2026 high school and intermediate examinations—conducting exams for lakhs of students on schedule and ensuring that solver gangs do not interfere with the integrity of the process.

The UP Board has finalised 8,033 examination centres for its 2026 Class 10 and 12 exams. (For Representation)

According to UP Board secretary Bhagwati Singh, the second challenge is tougher. Solver gangs begin operating as early as October and November when the process of finalising examination centres starts, he said. From this stage itself, the gangs try to get schools within their reach made centres.

“We remain cautious and generate reports from board officials, district officials and others at multiple stages to check every act of these solver gangs during finalising of the list of examination centres,” Singh added.

This year, based on past incidents of mass copying, the Board has identified 18 sensitive districts, including Ghazipur, Ballia, Gonda, Aligarh, Etah, Hathras, Deoria, Azamgarh, Mau, Prayagraj and Kaushambi. The Board will hand over the complete list of examination centres in these districts to the UP Special Task Force (STF) this week, he said.

The same list, along with details of individuals caught using or facilitating unfair means in recent years, will also be shared with district magistrates and Local Intelligence Units (LIU). This is aimed at helping agencies track the movements and activities of such people ahead of the examinations, Singh said.

He also said the centres’ list will also be placed before the chief secretary at a high-level meeting scheduled in Lucknow before the commencement of the exams to review preparations and security measures. The heightened vigilance follows the unprecedented crackdown during the 2025 UP Board examinations, which saw 113 FIRs registered for use of unfair means.

Of these, the UP STF alone filed 22 FIRs, arresting six impostors, two centre superintendents and 14 examination staff members involved in promoting cheating. Nearly two dozen fake invigilators and 49 impersonators were also caught.

In a preventive step, the Board has already barred 254 schools from serving as examination centres in 2026 after evidence showed their involvement in facilitating malpractice during the previous year’s exams.

For the upcoming exams, the Board has finalised 8,033 examination centres where around 27.5 lakh students will appear for the high school (Class 10) exams and another 24.8 lakh for the Intermediate (Class 12) exams to be held between February 18 and March 12.