Matric exam begins peacefully across Bihar

PATNA: The 2023 annual matriculation examination of the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) commenced on a peaceful note throughout the state on Tuesday. Boys and girls took the examination in mathematics paper in both the sittings at all the 1500 examination centres under tight security arrangements.
In Patna district, the examination was held quite peacefully at all the 71 centres.No untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the state. The examinations were held according to the changed time schedule (i.e, from 9.30am to 12.45pm in the first sitting and from 2 to 5.15pm in the second sitting). Sources said at most of the centres, examinees accompanied by their guardians had arrived well before the commencement of exam so that students did not find any problem in entering the exam hall well within the time.
Examinees were frisked twice - at the main entrance gate and inside the examination hall at all the centres. The examinees were not allowed to carry calculators, mobile phone, Bluetooth, earphone or any other electronic gadgets with them inside the examination hall. There was one invigilator for 25 examinees and the entire examination of both the sittings was videographed. Police personnel accompanied by magistrates were deployed at all the centres to ensure the conduct of peaceful and fair examinations.
The examinees got 100 percent additional choice in both objective and subjective questions. Most examinees appeared to be satisfied with the questions asked in mathematics paper.
Students will take the examination in science (physics, chemistry and biology) paper on Wednesday. Visually challenged examinees took the examination in home science paper in place of mathematics in the first sitting and they were given extra time of 20 minutes per hour to write the paper, BSEB sources said.
A control room (with phone numbers 0612-2232227 and 0612- 2232257) has already started functioning in the BSEB office to ensure smooth conduct of examinations throughout the state. The control room would function till 6pm on February 22, the last day of examinations. Examinees can contact the control room in case of any difficulty which would be resolved immediately by the authorities concerned. A WhatsApp group has also been created to provide necessary help to the personnel involved in examination works.
In each district, four examination centres have been made “model centres” where all the examinees, invigilators, police, magistrates and other supporting staff are women. In Patna district, the model centres are Govt Girls’ higher Secondary School, Bankipur, Govt Girls’ Higher Secondary School, Shastri Nagar, Kamla Nehru Girls’ High School, Yarpur, and Govt Girls’ High School, Gardanibagh.
The centres were beautifully decorated with balloons and flowers and the examinees were welcomed with flowers at the entrance gate.