CHSE Odisha Plus 2 exam: 13 measures taken to tackle question paper leak menace

The Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE), Odisha, is all set to conduct the Plus II exam 2025 from February 18 to March 27, 2025. The Board has released the timetable, and the admit cards have also been released.

More than 3.9 lakh students will reportedly appear for the prestigious exam this year in around 1276 centres across the state in all three streams- Arts, Science, and Commerce.

The Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE) in Odisha has implemented some stringent security measures for the 2025 Plus II examinations to prevent question paper leaks and malpractices.

Enhanced Security Measures:

1. District-level squads to provide four-tier security, covering all districts this year.

2. Number of examination centers increased from 1,160 to 1,268, with eight sub-centers, all under CCTV surveillance.

3. Advanced security features such as QR codes, watermarks, and unique serial numbers on question papers are introduced.

4. An innovative digital locking system with password-protected locks and GPS tracking will be implemented implemented for secure question paper transportation.

5. Live streaming systems, introduced last year, are to be expanded to 600 centers, allowing real-time monitoring and swift action in case of any irregularities.

6. Question papers are to be distributed to examination centers between February 12 and 19 amidst tight security.

7. Police personnel have been deployed to dispatch the question papers to the exam hubs.

8. BSE Odisha is introducing a digital lock system for transporting question papers. These locks can be opened centrally from the board office, through passwords, or via chips with special messengers. Any unauthorized tampering will trigger an alert in the BSE control room. CHSE is likely to introduce the same.

9. The board is also reportedly planning to introduce water-marked and QR-code-enabled question papers for the examination. Each question paper will have distinctive identifiers like examination center and candidate information to help detect potential leaks.

Past Incidents and Preventive Measures

The implementation of these strict measures comes in the wake of past incidents of question paper leaks and irregularities. In 2017, the CHSE had to reschedule the Chemistry paper due to irregularities where Chemistry question papers were found in Mathematics question paper packets. The incident affected at least 14 examination centers and led to a probe ordered by the School and Mass Education minister. 

10. To prevent such occurrences, the board has now mandated a round-the-clock power backup and internet facility with a minimum 50 mbps speed at Examination Management Hubs (EMHs). 

11. Besides, strong rooms are to be guarded by armed police round-the-clock, and principals have been instructed to refuse responsibility if any family member or close relative is taking the exam. 

12. Collectors and district-level committees have been involved in finalizing examination centers and tagging them to EMHs. 

13. Principals, often assigned as EMH supervisors, have been given specific responsibilities to ensure the integrity of the examination process.

These comprehensive measures aim to restore confidence in the examination system and ensure fair and transparent conduct of the Plus II and also matriculation examinations in Odisha.