Madhyamik Exams: WBBSE Seeks Change in Poll Duty Roster

Dipali Sen, MP, 18 Dec 2025, Kolkata: The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) has asked district administrations to plan and phase the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls to avoid disruption of the Madhyamik Examination 2026, scheduled from February 2 to 12. In a letter addressed to all district magistrates, with copies sent to the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal and senior officials of the School Education Department, WBBSE president Ramanuj Ganguly flagged concerns over the overlap between electoral roll revision work — issuance, hearing and verification, continuing till February 7 — and the examination period. He warned that the overlap posed “a genuine risk of disruption to the examination” if key personnel were unable to discharge their examination duties.

Referring to the scale of the Madhyamik, the letter described it as “one of the largest public examinations in India”, involving 10,79,897 registered candidates appearing at 2,682 examination centres across the state. The Board said the smooth conduct of the examination depends heavily on district-level officers and secondary and higher secondary teachers, many of whom have been engaged for electoral roll duties. Detailing the roles of such personnel as officers-in-charge, centre secretaries, venue supervisors, additional venue supervisors and invigilators, Ganguly wrote: “Given the overlapping timelines, there is a genuine risk of disruption to the examination if these key personnel are unable to fulfil their examination duties due to electoral roll responsibilities.”

The Board urged district authorities to plan and phase the electoral roll work in a manner that allows officers and teachers deployed for both assignments to perform their Madhyamik-related duties without conflict. It specifically sought adjustments in electoral duty rosters between February 2 and 12 for those assigned as centre officers-in-charge, additional venue supervisors, and invigilators, and requested temporary relief or alternative arrangements for personnel assigned to examination duties.

Emphasising coordination, the letter said the Board was “committed to cooperating fully with the district administration to ensure both democratic and academic processes are carried out smoothly”, adding that with careful planning and coordination, “both sets of responsibilities can be honoured without compromise”.