The Uttar Pradesh Secondary Education Board (UP Board) annual examinations began on Thursday across over 8,000 centres in the state. However, more than 300,000 students skipped the exams on the first day amid the deployment of strict anti-cheating measures.
According to official data available, while 5,411,501 students registered for the High School and Intermediate examinations, close to 5,077,960 took them, and 333,541 students remained absent on the first day.Â
The data also showed that five incidents of cheating were caught on the first day of exams, and actions were taken accordingly, including against fake candidates and a centre administrator. UP Board Secretary Dibyakant Shukla informed in a post on the social media platform ‘X’ that action was taken against seven High School students in cheating-related incidents.
All 8,265 exam centres are equipped with CCTV cameras with voice recording to deter students from cheating.
The UP board has taken additional measures to ramp up vigilance during examinations. For the first time, a central command and control centre has been set up in capital city Lucknow for online monitoring of all exam centres.
NSA, Gangster Act for impeding the examination process
Notably, on February 13, Yogi Adityanath’s government declared that students detected cheating in the UP Board examinations will face the National Security Act (NSA).
“Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued strict instructions to ensure cheating-free board exams, and the National Security Act will be imposed on students who are caught cheating,” the official statement said.
According to the statement also said that those found obstructing the examination process would invoke the Gangster Act against them, and their properties would be attached.
Static Magistrates and Sector Magistrates were appointed for the first time at each examination center.
The question paper and answer sheets will be monitored via CCTV, and room inspectors will be employed, according to the official decree.
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