Odisha CHSE Plus 2 exams to be conducted under CCTV surveillance, says minister

As the annual Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE) Plus 2 board examinations are all set to start from March 1, special emphasis is being given to installation of CCTV cameras at the examination centres to ensure transparency, School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash said on Monday.

Speaking to media about the arrangements for the annual board examinations, Dash said, “The Plus 2 examinations will start from March 1. All practical examinations are over and question papers have been sent to question hubs across the State.”

“Like last year, all necessary arrangements have been made for the smooth conduct of the examinations. Besides, CCTVs have been installed at the examination centres,” Dash added.

The minister also urged the agitating teachers of 662 category colleges to cooperate during the examinations.

“I have already urged the agitating teachers to cooperate in the exams taking the future of the students into consideration. I am hopeful that they will cooperate,” Dash said.

On the other hand, the teachers of 662 category colleges, who are staging an agitation at the Lower PMG in Bhubaneswar demanding ‘equal grade, equal salary’, on Monday, reiterated their demand, saying they would boycott the Plus II examinations if their demands are not met.

“The State government is solving some big issues in a trice. But our issues are being neglected. Our demand is not a big one. We request the government to take a decision with respect to our issues,” said Golak Nayak, president of the association. 

“If the government does not take a favourable decision, we will boycott the Plus II examinations to be held on March 1. For this, the State government, the Chief Secretary, the School and Mass Education Minister, the Higher Education Minister and the Chief Minister will be responsible,” warned Satabuddin Ahmad Shah, secretary of the association. 

Mounting pressure on the government, Milita Prathamika Sikshaka Sangha on Monday also took to the street. They staged protests in front of all the MLAs and ministers and handed their memorandum over to them. They urged them to raise their issue in the Assembly. 

Their demands include consideration of initial six-year contractual job period as the actual job period and implementation of pension system. 

“The government has abolished the contractual system. But it has forgotten the system started in 2001. Today we urged the MLAs to raise our issues in the Assembly and we hope the government will pay heed to our demands,” said Bijay Kumar Nayak, Secretary, Milita Prathamika Sikshaka Sangha.

Notably, the exams for Plus 2 Science stream will begin from March 1, and the exams for Commerce and Arts streams will begin on March 2. Similarly, the vocational studies examinations will commence on March 3.

(Reported by Jagdish Das and Soumya Ranjan Sahoo, OTV)