Bhubaneswar: Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE), Odisha and Board of Secondary Education (BSE) Odisha have made tight security arrangement for plus two and matric examinations. AI and QR codes will be used to prevent malpractice. Exam centers will be monitored by AI cameras.
The question papers will feature QR codes. The plus two exams are set to start from February 18 and the matriculation exams from February 19. More than 9 lakh students in Odisha will appear these exams.
Extensive arrangements have been made by the Board of Secondary Education Council and the Council of Higher Secondary Education to make the exams clean and free from malpractice.
Key steps taken to ensure integrity and honesty during exams:
- QR code, watermark and unique serial number will be present on every page of every question paper. If a photo of the question paper goes viral, then it can be known which center and which examinee it belongs to, within a few minutes.
- The exam centres will be under the surveillance of AI cameras. Artificial intelligence-enabled CCTVs will be installed in the centers. This will immediately detect any unusual movement in the exam hall.
- Live webcasting arrangements have been made. Live CCTV monitoring will be done directly at 3082 matriculation examination centers in the state and will be connected to a control room.
- A digital lock system has been set for the question papers. The question paper packets will have a multi-layer password and digital lock. No one will be able to open it before the scheduled time.
- GPS tracking systems will be installed in the vehicles carrying the question papers. The real-time location of the vehicles on the road can be known.
- Police security details have been made mandatory while taking question papers to the schools, and returning answer sheets to the nodal centers.
- A two-tiered verification system has been created. Before entering the examination hall, the examinees will be frisked twice. Female staff members will be assigned to frisk female students.
- Teachers and staff in charge of the examination, along with the examinees, will not be able to take mobile phones or smartwatches into the examination hall.
- Strict punishment provisions are put in place. According to the Examination Act 2024, if found guilty of using unfair means, the punishment will be 5 years in jail and/or a fine of Rs 10 lakhs. Along with this, the examinee can be banned from appearing.
- A special helpline number has been issued to assist with the mental stress of the examinees and for registering complaints.
- 24-hour police deployment in the strong room where the question papers are kept at the nodal center have been made.
- Filling of forms, to uploading of practical marks, all activities will be conducted online. This will eliminate possibilities of manipulation.
- Various flying squads, such as Blue-Squad and Flying Squad system, have been formed at the district level to carry out sudden checks at the examination centers.
Candidates have been instructed to reach the examination center at least 30 to 45 minutes prior to the examination time. The answer sheets will be collected safely as soon as the examination is over and the evaluation process is expected to start from the first week of March.