Security beefed up for Higher Secondary exams

Statesman News Service

MALDA, March 10: Having faced several unpleasant instances off student unrest and violence in many Madhyamik examination centres, the district police have planned to step up vigilance in Malda district.

Police officers of district Intelligence Branch had approached the district education officials for providing detailed information about the arrangement of HS examinations so that more numbers of police personnel could be deployed in all the Higher Secondary examination centres. The examinations will begin from 16 March.

The education officials provided all the required information to police for better security arrangement.

The district inspector of schools (secondary), Mr Chinmay Sarkar, said: “Following the unrest during the Madhyamik exams, police have taken initiative to conduct HS exams peacefully here. We have handed over to them detailed information on number of students sitting the exam, including girls, and number of exam centre and venues across the district”.

The decision was taken in a meeting attended by executive officials at the block level, education officials and police, They observed that current batch of students have become very daring and are often backed by guardians and local people who are the member of the village education committee.

“Most of such incidents took place in the rural belt. From Malda town, there was no such report,” Mr Chinmay Sarkar said.

“When hundreds of people forcibly entered the reputed Bangitola School and ransacked it, local people did not bother to resist them having lost faith in their own school,” Mr Sarkar said.

This year in many Madhyamik examination halls, invigilators were roughed up, teachers were assaulted and threatened with dire consequences, class rooms were ransacked if candidates were not allowed too cheat.

Even police personnel were beaten up and threatened. Police had to open fire in Bangitola Higher Secondary School to save the teachers’ life.

The education officials were also taken aback when some girls told them that if they were not allowed to cheat, they would lodge a complaint of molestation against the invigilators.