Here’s good news for Madhyamik examinees in far flung villages that still do not have electricity. The state government is all set to provide each examinee three litres of kerosene oil so that they can study and prepare for the board exams in the nights.

As the board exams knock, special centres for Madhyamik examinations will have closed circuit cameras installed this time.

However, officials of the North Bengal Board of Secondary Education (NBBSE) also said that they are yet to decide on which centres would be called ‘special.’

The total number of candidates appearing in the examinations this year is comparatively more than last year. The examinations will commence on 12 March and continue till 21 March.

“This year, 2,35,924 candidates, including 183 external ones, will sit for the examination, while the figure last year was 2,30,609,” the Special Deputy Secretary, NBBSE, Pradip Biswas, said.

The highest number of examinees this year is in Malda district that has 48,469 candidates. “As the exams approach and as the number of candidates has gone up this year, poor students in remote villages will be given kerosene oil so that they have light as they study in the evenings and nights,” Mr Biswas said.

“Students can take the kerosene from their nearby ration shops by showing their admit cards. The facility has been given only to students in far-flung areas where electricity is still a dream,” he added.

A total of 16,534 candidates will appear in the examinations in the Siliguri educational district. In the Hills under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, 10,189 examinees will be appearing in the exams, while 35,000 candidates will write the exams in Jalpaiguri district.

The figure for Alipurduar district is 22,182, for Cooch Behar district it is 42,400 examinees, and 38,600 candidates will appear in the exams in North Dinajpur district.

South Dinajpur will see 22,500 candidates sit for the examinations. This year, there are 675 exam venues, which will be under 139 main venues, Mr Biswas said.

“The special centres have not been decided on, while there were 123 centres last year. The state education department will hold a video conference on Thursday, where a decision will be taken on such centres,” he said.

Highlighting the code of conduct for the examinations, Mr Biswas said, “Carrying of electronic gadgets, including calculators and mobile phones for both students and invigilators, is banned.

If invigilators are found using their mobile phones, they will be confiscated and not returned. Photocopy centres will remain closed during the examinations and no one would be allowed to open them within a 200-meter radius of the examination centres. All necessary steps have been taken to ensure smooth examinations.”