The West Bengal Board of Secondary Examination (WBBSE) started today with more than 9.84 lakh students appearing for the first board exam of their life. The WBBSE exam is to be held at 2,683 centres across the state.

The exam started at 11 a.m. while the question papers were given at 10.45 p.m. According to sources in the board, students from 9,145 schools in various parts of the state are writing the exam this year.

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Notably, following reports of question paper leakage last year, the board made intensive arrangements to prevent such incidents. As a part of the efforts, authorities of the exam centres have been instructed to compulsorily instal CCTV cameras at the venues. Not only students, even teachers and invigilators at the exam centres have been prohibited from using mobile phones in exam halls. In Kolkata, police personnel were also deployed at the exam centres. Anyone entering the school premises with smart gadgets would be barred from writing exams this year, according to the board instructions.

Last year, complaints of question paper leak were reported from Malda district. According to the state education minister, Bratya Basu, since a gang allegedly involved in leakage of question papers was caught by the police from the district last year, increased surveillance was needed in Malda. Considering the fact, the board has made strict arrangements to prevent question paper leakage in the district. Unlike other parts of West Bengal where one venue in-charge is deployed in an exam hall, the board has instructed to deploy three venue in-charges at the exam venues of the district.

Meanwhile, the state transport department has made arrangements for special and additional services for the WBBSE examinees. The department is running additional services connecting various crucial routes.

According to sources, the three-hour exam today was held peacefully without any complaints of question paper leakage.