Tracking system to check paper leak in HS: Council

TNN | Mar 12, 2017, KOLKATA: Learning a lesson from the "paper leak" minutes before the Physical Science examination of Madhyamik this year, West Bengal Council for Higher Secondary Education has put in place a unique coding system which will help them identify any person, who violates instructions before the question paper is distributed among candidates.

"Each sealed packet of question papers will reach the 2060 venue supervisors who will then hand over the question papers in sealed envelopes to invigilators at the examination halls. "A tracking system has been put in place. The software will help us know any breach in between, thus pinning the violator," said president of the HS Council, Mahua Das.

At a time when the Madhyamik board is grappling to find out the source who "leaked" the three pages from the question paper, the HS Council is confident that it won't let anyone put the examination under threat.

This year, the Council has identified 70-75 venues as sensitive. "Venues from where incidents of minor disturbances, vandalism or breach in security have been reported earlier are being classified as sensitive. There will be police patrolling, videography, imposition of section 144 in areas nearby and CCTV coverage in these centres," the Council president added. Most of these venues are located in Malda.

This year, the number of girls surpassed boys in the Higher Secondary examinations — scheduled to be held between March 15 and March 29 — by 34,500. In a first, the HS Council has also introduced interpreters who will be present at the control rooms and students of Hindi, Urdu or Nepali mediums can call them through venue supervisors over phone from any part of the state and ask them to translate instructions or questions in case of any confusion.

Also, as a first-time measure, the students will be able to identify their venues before the day of exam arrives. A candidate can put his/her roll number and school name on the Council's website to find out the address of the exam venue. Total number of students appearing in the exam this year is 774441.