UP Board exams begin: Over 54 lakh students appearing

Lucknow, Feb 24 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh Board examinations for class 10 and 12 began Monday with 54,37,233 students appearing for the exams across the state amid strict surveillance to ensure fairness, according to an official statement.

The exams will be conducted over 13 days until March 12.

This year, 27,32,216 students have registered for the class 10 exams, while 27,05,017 students are appearing for the class 12 exams. The first shift started at 8.30 AM and will continue until 11.45 AM, while the second shift is scheduled from 2.00 PM to 5.15 PM.

On the first day, class 10 students appeared for Hindi and Elementary Hindi exams in the morning, while class 12 students had military science. In the afternoon session, class 10 students will take the healthcare exam, and class 12 students will appear for Hindi and General Hindi.

To prevent malpractice, the Special Task Force (STF) and local intelligence units are monitoring the examination centres. Each exam room is equipped with two CCTV cameras with voice recorders, and 306 centres across 17 districts have been classified as “highly sensitive”, according to the statement.

Minister of State for Secondary Education (Independent Charge) Gulab Devi inaugurated the first shift at Jubilee Inter College, Lucknow, by applying a ceremonial ’tilak’ to students and offering them sweets.

Extending her best wishes, she said, “I pray that all students appear for their exams with full dedication and confidence, secure good marks, and succeed.”

She emphasised that the UP Board exams are not just an academic assessment but a foundation for students’ bright futures.

During her visit, the minister also inspected the control room at Jubilee Inter College.

Meanwhile, in Prayagraj, UP Board Secretary Bhagwati Singh reviewed the monitoring operations at the Control and Command Centre to ensure smooth conduct of the examinations, according to the statement.