At least 100 jail inmates lodged in various prisons of Gujarat are appearing for class 10 and class 12 Board exams of the Gujarat State Education Board (GSEB), which got under way on March 8.
"The state government has set up four examination centres in the premises of Vadodara, Lajpore (Surat), Rajkot and Ahmedabad jails to enable these imprisoned inmates to take the exams," M A Rathod, Welfare Officer of Vadodara Central Jail, said.
"Thirteen inmates from jails in Vadodara, Chhota Udeypur and Bharuch, are appearing for these exams. Special arrangements have been made for them, including installation of CCTV cameras, in the barracks in Vadodara jail premises," he said.
Of the 13 inmates, including both undertrials and convicted offenders, eight are appearing for class 10 exam, while five for class 12 exam, he said.
Three of the five convicted inmates are guilty of murder, with one of them being 48 years old, he said.
"The exams are being conducted under the supervision of a Zonal Officer and a Supervisor of Vadodara district education department, and are being held as per the guidelines of the GSEB," L A Desai, a senior jailor, said.
