Bhubaneswar, February 19: The Class 10 final examinations of the Board of Secondary Education (BSE), Odisha, began on Thursday, with over 5.61 lakh students participating, officials confirmed.
The exams, including the High School Certificate (HSC), Madhyama, and Open School Certificate examinations, are scheduled to run until March 2, according to the BSE.
The tests commenced at 9 am and concluded at 11:30 am across 3,082 centres. On the first day, students sat for the Modern Indian Language (Odia) paper.
Strict security protocols are in place, with students allowed only their admit cards, pens, pencils, and geometry boxes inside the exam centres. Other items have been prohibited. Invigilators and exam staff are also restricted from using mobile phones during the exam sessions.
To curb malpractice, a three-tier surveillance system has been set up, including special vigilance teams for surprise inspections at exam centres. Additionally, AI-enabled CCTV cameras are monitoring the examination halls centrally from the BSE’s control room in Cuttack.
As an extra layer of security, QR codes and watermarks have been added to the question papers to prevent any potential tampering.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi extended his best wishes to the students. On X, he encouraged them, stating, "Remember, this is not just an academic evaluation, but a true measure of your patience, perseverance, and self-confidence."
