Shimla News
Education board to close exam centres opened during COVID-19 pandemic
The state education board will inspect the centres and cancel those not meeting the criteria.
Dharamshala, 09 September: Himachal Pradesh State Board of School Education is going to close the exam centres opened during the COVID-19 pandemic to maintain social distancing. These centres, set up to ensure the safety of students during the pandemic, will now be thoroughly examined to find out their viability. Exam centres not meeting the required criteria will be cancelled.
The board, which conducts annual exams for classes 10th and 12th, currently manages around 2,250 exam centres across the state. During the pandemic, many of these centres were made to accommodate fewer students while following social distancing guidelines. However, a thorough inspection of these centres was not done at that time and some formalities were ignored.
School Education Board Secretary Dr. Major Vishal Sharma said that an inspection committee will be formed to assess the condition of these exam centres. The committee will review whether the centres meet the formal requirements and standards needed to host students during exams. Centres that do not meet these criteria will be closed, and students assigned to those locations will be reassigned to nearby schools for their exams.
Inspection to ensure proper standards
Many exam centres opened during the pandemic were created on an urgent basis, and some have since raised concerns over their lack of inspection and adherence to formal procedures. The inspection committee will focus on identifying any faults in these centres and ensuring that they meet the standards set for exam centres. The move is aimed at streamlining the exam process and maintaining the quality and safety of exam sites.
Students currently registered at these exam centres may experience a change in their exam sites. The education board has assured that the affected students will be reassigned to the nearest school to minimise disruption to their exam schedule.
The move is seen as a necessary step to ensure that the exam centres are up to standard and are able to provide a safe and conducive environment to students during their examinations. This development follows significant changes made during the pandemic to accommodate students, and now, when conditions are getting back to normal, the board aims to strengthen and improve its exam infrastructure across the state.
