West Bengal Higher Secondary Council( WBHSC) has upgraded and included several safety features to strengthen security around the upcoming Higher Secondary Examination, scheduled from the 27 March.

These moves of the council come in the background of the principal of Mainaguri Subhasnagar High School being accused of ‘ forgery’ and supplying answers to students in the recently-concluded Madhaymik examination to enlist his school’s name in the merit list.

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The council, however, reportedly informed that these security measures have been in process days before the forgery incident of Madhyamik came to light.

As a new security measure, ‘special observers, council’s nominee’ have been deputed for every venue who will not be directly involved with the examination process but will take note of any irregularity and report confidentially to the council.

For sensitive venues, however, there will be two special observers with valid ID cards. The council nominee will have to be present inside the venue at the time when the seal of the examination question set is being opened for sorting, the council informed.

Moreover, the ‘special supervisors’ have been tasked with the job to especially take note whether anyone other than the venue supervisor is using mobile phones or not inside the venue. The council president, Ms Mahua Das said, “We are sending a team of special supervisors for 150 sensitive venues.

They will be in the venue from 8 a.m. onwards and will aid the venue supervisors in maintaining the overall security and report back to the council. They have also been asked to oversee whether anybody other than the venue supervisor is using mobile phones during the exam.”

Venue supervisors, will be equipped with ‘ examination security format’ to file a report in confidentiality if any untoward incident occurs or anyone, teachers or non-academic staff is seen using mobile inside the exam venue.

As a standard security measure, the council has informed that no one, teacher or non-academic staff is to leave the venue before one hour of the examination.

Additionally, the council has taken special measures to ensure questions papers are not opened before time and that the questions are not misplaced.

The venue supervisors have, therefore, been given ‘question distribution format’ which will have to be filled up with details of of people who are handling the question paper.

The format will enlist the subject, how many questions and who is being handed the question papers along with invigilators’ sign.

The council has also introduced the ‘Reported Against’ format as a disciplinary measure for examinees which gives the venue supervisor the authority to R.A a student for five specific reasons on spot.

If any student is found using mobile phones, copying, ill-treating an invigilator or a teacher, causing destruction to school property or not submitting answers or parts of scripts and lose sheets will be liable for R.A, the council authorities has notified.