Lucknow, Feb 5 (IANS): The Uttar Pradesh government is implementing extensive and foolproof measures to ensure transparency and security at every stage in the secondary Board examinations.

The government will deploy the local intelligence unit (LIU) for meticulous monitoring of examination centres categorised as sensitive or highly sensitive. These centres, with a history of irregularities, are under constant vigilance, with patrolling by jurisdictional officers and officer-in-charge of the concerned police station to deter external cheating, said a government spokesman.

Uttar Pradesh Secondary Education Council secretary Divyakant Shukla emphasised that the government has involved armed forces in monitoring strong rooms. This stringent measure aims to prevent any potential paper leaks or security breaches.

A comprehensive strategy has been devised involving coordination with various departments to facilitate the smooth conduct of the examinations scheduled from February 22 to March 9.

The mammoth task involves catering to the needs of 55,25,290 students, encompassing both high school (29,47,325 examinees) and intermediate (25,77,965 examinees) levels, across 8,265 examination centres statewide, including 566 government, 3,479 funded, and 4,220 non-funded centres.

From safeguarding strong rooms to overseeing answer sheet collection centres, the government has left no stone unturned to prevent cheating and other malpractices during the exams, he said.

Shukla underscored the commitment to taking strict action against any hindrance to the examination process, improper printing or publication and the spread of rumours, treating such activities as cognizable offences.

To further fortify the security apparatus, the imposition of Section 144, as needed, at examination centres has been planned, while precautions include restrictions on photocopy shops around these centres to prevent any potential confusion.

District administrations will play a pivotal role during the exams, with sector magistrates and static magistrates appointed to ensure their successful completion. Training for these magistrates will take place, emphasising the need for stability in their positions.

Cooperation from various departments has also been enlisted to streamline the examination process. The transport department has been asked to operate buses regularly and the energy department to ensure uninterrupted power supply.

Similarly, the basic education department is sought for teacher assistance and the health department is approached for primary medical facilities at examination centres.

The panchayati raj and urban development department’s assistance is sought for maintaining cleanliness and sanitation around examination centres. The collective effort aims to create a secure and conducive environment for students to excel in their examinations.