Bhubaneswar: The Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE) Wednesday postponed the Plus II practical examinations as question papers and answer sheets have not reached in some colleges due to the bandh called by Congress and BJP.
The practical examinations for the Plus II were scheduled to be held in between January and February 5, which now will start from January 29 and continue till February 8, official sources in CHSE said here Wednesday.
As the bandh affected the vehicular movement, the question papers, answer sheets and other examination materials could not be delivered to some colleges. As a result the Council decided to postpone the practical exams, source said.
Theory papers, however, will be held as per schedule announced earlier, which is from March 6 to 29.
Meanwhile, the state government is planning to postpone the matriculation examination 2018 conducted by the Board of Secondary Education (BSE)-Orissa, keeping the Bijepur by-election in view.
“While the exam is scheduled to be held from February 23 to March 8 and the by-election will be held February 24, we are planning to change the dates for the HSC examination,” a senior level official of BSE told Orissa POST.
Besides, several teachers will also be engaged in the election process while the teachers of the constituency will also cast their votes. The schools may also be designated as polling stations, the official said.
Keeping all above facts in view, the Board has initiated the process to change the examination schedule. A meeting to this effect will be held shortly, which will be attended by BSE, School and Mass Education department officials and other stakeholders, the official added.
Over 5.90 lakh students will appear the annual HSC examination 2018 at 2,818 centres across the state. Out of the total, about 5.67 lakh students will appear as regular candidates, while 19,737 as ex-regular students and the remaining 3,334 will appear for correspondence courses.
School and Mass Education Minister Badri Narayan Patra said, “We have requested the Election Commission for changing eight polling booths as they are located in the premises of high schools. We have requested them to shift those booths to nearby primary schools so that the exam will not be affected,” The proposal is under consideration of the Commission, he said.
PNN
