Annual board exams to begin in Kashmir tomorrow

The annual board examinations, scheduled to begin in Kashmir tomorrow, will be an acid test for the PDP-BJP coalition government which announced the schedule for examinations despite opposition from various quarters, including the student community.
All arrangements have been put in place for the smooth conduct of the examinations for the Class 10 and 12 which are scheduled to start on November 14 and 15, respectively, officials said, allaying fears of any trouble or inconvenience to the students appearing for the annual exams.
"All arrangements are in place for over one lakh students scheduled to appear for the 10th and 12th class examinations. While 484 exam centres have been set up for about 48,000 candidates for class 12th examination across Kashmir division, as many as 550 exam centres have been established for 5,5000 candidates for class 10th examination," an official of School Education department told PTI.

Schools in the Valley went on a two-week summer holiday on July 1 but could not resume functioning due to the unrest which was triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani along with his two associates in an encounter with security forces in a village in Kokernag area of south Kashmir's Anantnag district on July 8.
The unrest has left 85 persons dead and thousands injured while hundreds of people including students were booked under Public Safety Act (PSA) for participating in the protests.
The official decried the burning of schools, saying it should not have happened.

As many as 32 schools have been targeted by unknown persons since the unrest began in Kashmir on July 8.

The official said over 98 per cent of students have already collected their admit cards to appear in the examinations - an encouraging development attributed to the government decision to provide 50 per cent relaxation in syllabus.
The government has also decided to hold separate examination for class 10 and 12 in March next year if they fail to appear in already scheduled exams in November but the students had to attempt 100 per cent of the question paper.
Education Minister Naeem Akhtar said he is hopeful that the exams would be conducted in a peaceful atmosphere and the students will get all the facilities which they need to write their papers.

Defending the government's decision to hold the board
exams this month, he said the exams were scheduled for October but the students have been given already enough time to prepare for the exams to save their academic year.
The official said special control rooms have been established across the Valley at Chief Education Officers and Zonal Education Officers level, while a control room has also been established at directorate office for better coordination.
Flying squads have already been constituted and would visit examination centres to take on-spot review of the arrangements, the official said.
"Magistrates for each exam centre have already been notified, besides relocation of the centres is being done wherever required," he said, adding night vigil is being maintained at all exam centres and examination material has been dispatched to respective police stations for their further distribution.

Special Director General of Police, Coordination and Law and Order, S P Vaid, who chaired a high level joint meeting of police and Board officers here yesterday, said endeavour of the police is to ensure incident free conduct of examinations and called for "perfect coordination and synergy" between the field officers for the smooth conduct of the examinations.
"Foolproof security and transport plans have been put in place and extra care taken for the examination centres categorised as sensitive and of far-flung areas," he said.
Commissioner Secretary School Education, Shaleen Kabra, accompanied by Director School Education Kashmir, Aijaz Ahmad Bhat yesterday visited various examination centers of Srinagar and took stock of the arrangements made for the board examinations.

The Commissioner Secretary directed the heads of the examination centers to make proper heating arrangements besides repairing window panes so that students do not face any inconvenience, an official spokesman said.
Meanwhile, authorities held sensitisation camp of exam staff at district headquarters for hassle free conduct of the examinations.
The one-day sensitisation session was attended by all superintendents, heads of institutions and concerned officers, the spokesman said, adding they were asked to put in their best efforts to ensure the smooth conduct of the examinations.