“Except for a very few selected key persons who would be on examination duty, no staff member and students are allowed to carry mobile phones or any communication devices during examination hours,” GBSHSE Chairman, J R Rebello told Herald.
The advisory has been displayed at all examination centres even as officials have already been appointed to ensure that the instructions are not violated. “Our officials including the examiners and moderators themselves (who are also covered under the ban) are doing regular checks in all examination halls. We are also supervising,” he said.
Steps have been taken to avoid a Mumbai paper leakage type incident where a snapshot of the book keeping and accountancy paper was found being circulated through WhatsApp, just as students began writing the HSSC exam. A preliminary inquiry has revealed that it may be the work of a student who might have managed to sneak his/her mobile phone inside the examination centre.
“We don’t want to take any chances though there is barely any possibility of such leaks. We have ensured complete security of all the sealed envelopes containing question papers. The board is taking utmost care that all bundles are open in the respective centres at the same time besides taking other measures within the campus,” he added.
The XII standard students will be answering their last paper on March 20, which was actually slated on March 18 but rescheduled in the wake of the Zilla Panchayat elections. The X standard board examinations begin on March 31.
Rebello said the XII standard examination results will be announced by May 10 while the X standard results will be announced a fortnight after the release of the XII standard results.
