Annual Higher Secondary exam ends; results likely by mid-May

Kolkata: The final Higher Secondary (HS) examinations under the annual system ended on Tuesday, with the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) announcing that results will be declared by mid-May.

This year, around 5.09 lakh students registered for the exams, which were conducted smoothly across 2,089 exam centres, barring a few scattered incidents. To prevent cheating, metal detectors were used at all centres, with each venue receiving one from the Council and being advised to arrange another. Despite this, eight students were caught using mobile phones inside exam halls.

WBCHSE President Chiranjib Bhattacharya noted a significant decline in such cases, stating: “There was a growing tendency among students to bring mobile phones into exam halls, but we have successfully reduced this.”

Last year, 41 students were caught, compared to just eight this year. In Murshidabad’s Farakka block, students of New Farakka High School vandalised the Nayansukh L.N.S.M. High School exam venue. The Council has taken strict action, and the school of the accused students has agreed to pay for the damages. Additionally, during the exam period, three students and a teacher sadly passed away. Several others sustained injuries. A total of 76 students took their exams from hospitals. With the exams now over, answer scripts have been sent to head examiners and examiners for evaluation. The Council has urged examiners and scrutineers to be extra careful to avoid errors in marking, tallying, and scrutiny.

Highlighting past issues, the Council stressed the need for stricter evaluation to prevent discrepancies, especially in Post-Publication Scrutiny (PPS) and Post-Publication Review (PPR).