Chief secretary issues guidelines for free and fair UP Board exams

UP Board exams will be held in offline mode for students of high school (class 10) and intermediate (class 12) from March 24 to April 12

Chief secretary Durga Shankar Mishra on Wednesday directed all divisional commissioners, regional deputy inspector generals of police, police commissioners, district magistrates, senior superintendents/superintendents of police to ensure that UP Board examinations 2022 were conducted in a free and fair manner.

As many as 51,92,689 students are set to appear in the UP Board exams at 8,373 exam centres this year. (Pic for representation)

As per the UP Board time table released earlier this month, the exams to be held in offline mode for the students of high school (class 10) and intermediate (class 12) will commence from March 24 and continue till April 12. As many as 51,92,689 students are set to appear in the board exams at 8,373 exam centres this year.

As per the instructions issued by chief secretary Durga Shankar Mishra, under the provisions of the UP Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 1998, prompt action would be taken for offense of using unfair means, breach of confidentiality of the question paper and violent acts in the examinations.

It has also been said in the above instructions that prohibitory orders should be imposed under Section-144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure within a radius of 100 meters around the board examination center and if necessary, outside it as well.

“The operation of photo copier and scanner within a radius of at least 1 km from the examination centers would be strictly prohibited during the examination period. Attack on center superintendent and teachers related to examination work etc will be considered as a cognizable offence,” the instruction read.

The examination center has to be completely sanitized following Covid protocol. Along with the arrangement of sanitizer, hand wash, thermal scanning, pulse oximeter and first aid kit, social distancing has to be followed, it further read.

To curb anti-social elements and outsiders involved in copying, information should be collected through LIU. The administration will take cognizance of criminal / threatening behaviour by any person/persons towards any personnel associated with the examination during the exam period and prompt legal action should be taken if found guilty.

A close watch should be kept on persons who mislead the examinees by improper printing or publication and rumours etc, and if necessary, action should be taken as per rules. Searching of girl examinee shall be done only by women members of the inspecting team.