To curb the cheating menace in Uttar Pradesh new software has been designed and a four-step process initiated, said Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma. The UP board exams are beginning from February 7. “Centers in the state which reported maximum cases of cheating in the past, will be strictly monitored”, he said.
“The intention of the UP government is to curtail use of unfair means by students while making efforts to improve quality of education. Owing to efforts of the UP government, use of unfair means has stopped, and the number of students studying in government schools has increased by 18-20 per cent,” Sharma, who also holds the portfolio of secondary and higher education, told PTI.
The UP Board exam will begin on February 7, and will be conducted in the next 16 working days.
“If the exams are held in a shorter duration, it will also lead to cutting the cost incurred in conducting them” he said.
Crediting the Adityanath government, he said, has taken a lot of steps to check cheating in exams.
“Before the BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh, the prevailing atmosphere in the state prompted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to say that tenders are floated in UP for copying (UP mein to nakal ke tender hote hai). After the BJP came to power in UP, steps have been taken to curtail the evil practice,” the UP deputy Chief Minister said.
“At these centers stringent measures were initiated to ensure that use of unfair means does not take place. Last year strict vigil was maintained on suspicious centres”, said deputy CM.
“There were large-scale irregularities involved in setting up of an examination centre. Now schools desirous of becoming exam centres have to apply online and submit details of facilities” he said further.
The software will choose the centre while keeping in mind laid down parameters and criteria. “The list will be displayed on the Internet, and officials (district inspector of schools) will check for shortcoming and anomalies.
He said all examination centre must have CCTVs, separate toilets for boys and girls and boundary wall. Static magistrates will be posted at every examination centre. “We have taken help of STF at few places which have earned disrepute,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.
Last year around 67.22 lakh children registered for the board exams, said The UP secondary education minister. However, nearly 11 lakh skipped the exams. Those who skipped the exams were mainly from other states and from countries like Nepal and Bangladesh.
“This time, over 58 lakh students registered for the board exam. This time, the number of students from various foreign countries is negligible,” he said.
“Aadhaar of students has been linked with registration for sensitive exam centres,. However, not every centre across the state has been linked to Aadhaar. A district-wise list of suspicious centres has also been prepared,” he said.
Talking about the initiatives by the government, he said that 205 new schools have opened in the last one year, and teachers have been appointed. Of these 205 new secondary schools, as many as 166 are model schools, he said.