Odisha Matric Exams to Proceed Amid Protest by Teachers; Feb 20 Start

Bhubaneswar: The Annual High School Certificate (HSC) Examination for Class-X in Odisha is set to begin from February 20 and conclude on March 4. However, amidst the preparations, thousands of secondary school teachers have been protesting at Lower PMG in Bhubaneswar for the past 11 days, raising concerns about the smooth conduct of the exams.

The teachers, organized by the Odisha Secondary School Teachers’ Association (OSSTA), are protesting the alleged failure of the Odisha government to address their 21-point charter of demands. These demands include grants to eligible schools, salary system revisions, removal of pay grade anomalies, extension of retirement age, and pension benefits for retired teachers of unaided schools.

Despite the ongoing protests, the Board of Secondary Education (BSE) has announced the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to monitor the exams this year. AI-powered cameras will be installed at key locations such as strong rooms, District Education Officer (DEO) offices, and examination halls to detect any irregularities. Operators will be immediately notified in case of discrepancies.

The exam schedule comprises various subjects starting with Odia on February 20, followed by English, Mathematics, Hindi/Sanskrit, Science, and Social Science. Additionally, vocational practical exams will be conducted between January 15 and 31 by the Odisha School Education Programme Authority (OSEPA).

With 2,991 exam centres across Odisha, a total of 5,51,611 students are registered for the HSC exams, while 7831 and 3037 students will sit for SOSC and Madhyma examinations respectively. Notably, due to possible heat waves, there will be no second sitting during the exams.

Following the exams, the evaluation of question papers is scheduled to commence from March 15 and is expected to be completed within the subsequent 12 days.