UP Board bans mobile phones at evaluation centres, violators to face action

Evaluation of 3.20 crore answersheets of the recently concluded class 10 and 12 board exams is set to begin at these centres between from March 8 and 22.

The UP Board has decided to ban the use of mobile phones at all its 230 evaluation centres across the state, said a board official.

Evaluation of 3.20 crore answer sheets of the recently concluded class 10 and 12 board exams is set to begin at these centres between from March 8 and 22. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

“It has made clear that flouting the rule by an evaluator or other staff member would be treated as a serious betrayal and would invite strict action,” reads an order issued by board secretary Neena Srivastava on March 5.

Evaluation of 3.20 crore answer sheets of the recently concluded class 10 and 12 board exams is set to begin at these centres between from March 8 and 22.

The order that has been conveyed to all district inspector of schools (DIOS) of the state also bans clicking of photographs of answer-sheets, OMR sheets or award lists etc by examiners.

“The guidelines have been issued to ensure a fair evaluation process. The violators could face fines or ban from all exam related duties in future,” said Srivastava.

The DIOSs have also been instructed to ensure CCTV cameras were present at all places where evaluation related work was being undertaken including the storage site where the answer-sheets are kept, evaluation hall as well as rooms where work related to sealing and packing of the answer-sheet bundles were being undertaken, she said.

Last year, the board had faced embarrassment when a confidential OMR sheet and the marksheet of a high school examinee had gone viral on the social media alleging discrepancy in the awarding of marks. The two documents claimed to show that a student, who was originally awarded only two marks out of 70 in science (theory) on ‘award blank’ (the OMR sheet on which evaluators fill up the column of marks obtained by candidates), finally got 23 marks in the marksheet. This was later duly addressed by the board.

NUMBER FACTS:

Evaluation process to be undertaken from March 8 to 22

3.20 crore answer sheets to be evaluated in 15 days

1.25 lakh teachers to check answer sheets at 230 centres across the state

1.90 crore answer sheets of class 10 to be evaluated by 79,064 teachers

1.30 crore answer sheets of class 12 to be checked by 45,732 teachers