254 jail inmates to appear for UP Board exams

Lucknow: As many as 254 inmates across eight district jails will appear in the UP Board examinations.As per official data, 96 inmates will take the high school (class 10) examination, while 158 will appear for the intermediate (class 12) examination.
The highest participation was recorded in Ghaziabad jail, where 20 inmates are appearing for high school and 43 for intermediate.Bareilly jail registered 23 high school and 29 intermediate candidates, while Lucknow saw 21 high school and 18 intermediate examinees. Varanasi saw 12 high school and 11 intermediate candidates. Gorakhpur recorded two high school and 19 intermediate participants, Banda had three intermediate candidates, and Firozabad saw 10 high school and 18 intermediate inmates take the exams.Prison officials say the rising number of examinees signals a broader transformation underway in UP's correctional system — from a punitive model to a reform-oriented approach focused on rehabilitation and reintegration."Over the past few years, jails in the state strengthened literacy drives, opened study centres inside barracks, arranged subject-wise coaching, and provided textbooks and writing materials free of cost. Inmates are encouraged to complete unfinished schooling and even pursue higher education through open universities," said PN Pandey, DIG prisons HQ.Dedicated classrooms were created in several jails, and educated inmates often assist fellow prisoners in peer-learning initiatives. Authorities say that regular counselling sessions and motivational workshops helped change mindsets, with many inmates now viewing education as a pathway to dignity and a second chance, added Pandey.Senior prison officials said that education plays a crucial role in reducing repeat offences by improving employability and self-confidence. "When inmates acquire academic qualifications, they return to society better equipped to find lawful employment and rebuild family ties," another officer said.The initiative complements ongoing vocational training programmes in carpentry, tailoring, handicrafts, food processing and other trades being run in various district jails. Together, education and skill development are forming the backbone of a structured rehabilitation model.In 2025, a total of 182 jail inmates lodged in different prisons across the state cleared the UP Board exams. As many as 199 inmates (94 for class 10 and 105 for class 12) wrote the exams. As many as 91 inmates from both classes cleared their respective exams. The overall pass percentage for class 10 among jail inmates was 96.81% and 86.67% for class 12.