Flying, sitting, vigilance squads, CCTV cameras to monitor exams

The Department of Public Instruction has made elaborate arrangements to conduct smoothly the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination in the districts. The examination is scheduled to be held from March 30 to April 13.

Dakshina Kannada

A total of 33,851 students from across the district will appear for the examination – of which, 17672 are boys. As many as 1,203 private candidates are writing the exam. The district has 496 high schools.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, Walter D’Mellow, deputy director of the Department of Public Instruction (DDPI), said that the exams will be conducted in 103 centres in the district.

CCTV cameras have been installed in 75 examination centres in the district. Since 2015, the Department has been urging exam centres to install CCTV cameras.

“In order to prevent malpractices, every centre will have a sitting squad. Apart from this, block vigilance squads have been formed along with a district vigilance squad. The district-level squad will pay surprise visits to the centres,” he said, adding that an observer has been appointed to each examination centre.

Drinking water and toilet facilities have been made available at all the centres, the deputy director said.

“The district administration has enforced prohibitory orders within a 200-metre radius of every centre. All the photocopy shops in the vicinity of the centres will be closed during the examination. Apart from this, for the first times, invigilators are barred from carrying their mobile phones into the SSLC examination halls. There will also be a draw of lots to allot classrooms for the invigilators,” informed D’Mellow.

Improve results
To improve SSLC pass percentage, Puttur Block Education Officer Shashidhar has implemented 95+ Mission in the taluk. Under the Mission, 77 schools have been covered wherein average students are tutored with an objective of making every student pass the exam. Night coaching classes has been imparted in 12 schools in the taluk. “As many as 1,024 students had failed in the exam in Puttur in 2013-14. After the Mission 95+ was launched in 2014-15, the failure percentage is reduced by half,” said the BEO, who will visit 12 different coaching centres till April 13, the last day of the exam.

In Udupi
As many as 16,074 students in the district are all set to appear for the SSLC examination.
DDPI Diwakar Shetty told Deccan Herald that, of the total 16,074 students who are appearing for the examination, 15,196 are regular students, 364 are private and 514 are repeaters.

He added that the centres have been provided security with two constables each. “The police force will accompany the vehicles that are employed to transport the question papers. A total of 52 taluk and district-level officers from other departments are appointed as observers by the deputy commissioner, while 116 departmental officers will work as sitting squad. As many as 14 question paper rooms are set up. Three district flying squads are set up – besides, three flying squad each will be working at taluk-level,” he explained.

“There are 58 centres, of which, Byndoor and Kundapur have nine each; 13 centres are in Brahmavar, 16 in Udupi and 11 in Karkala. As many as 16,074 students are appearing for the examination, of which, 15,196 are regular students, 364 are private and 514 are repeaters. The first language exam will be held on March 30. There are five first languages in the district. English, Kannada, Hindi, Urdu and Sanskrit respectively,” explained the DDPI.
DH News Service