Ahead of the upcoming Secondary examination, Education Minister Bratya Basu on Saturday alleged that the central government had made attempts to disrupt the examination process in West Bengal.
Addressing a press conference at Trinamool Bhavan, Bratya claimed that the alleged interference was carried out through the Election Commission in the name of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list. He assured the over 9.5 lakh examinees in the state that they would be able to appear for the examinations without disruption.
The Minister alleged that the central government was attempting to interfere through the Election Commission under the pretext of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list. He assured more than 9.5 lakh examinees in the state that they would be able to appear for their examinations without any disruption.
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He further accused the Centre of not wanting Bengali students to succeed, claiming the BJP was trying to damage the careers of young boys and girls. At the same time, he sought to reassure students, saying Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stood firmly with them and that there was no cause for concern, as the state government would ensure their interests were protected.
The West Bengal Minister further claimed that the state government had anticipated possible hurdles well in advance. He said the administration was confident and had sensed the situation early, which is why preventive steps were taken nearly six months ago to ensure the examinations could be conducted smoothly and peacefully.
Admit card collection issues
Meanwhile, through a special initiative of the state government, the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education allowed 1,966 students from 954 schools to fill new enrolment forms and receive admit cards between 12 noon on January 27 and 12 noon the next day, well after the stipulated deadline.
However, until 8 PM on Saturday, 86 schools had not collected their admit cards. The total number of examinees from these schools stands at 103. In this context, Board Secretary Subrata Ghosh issued a notice confirming that the secondary examinations will begin on Monday as scheduled.
The board published the names of the concerned schools on Saturday and stated that admit cards would be issued on Sunday between 2 PM and 5 PM. Headmasters or nominated representatives have been asked to collect them.
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Board issues warning and helpline numbers
The board warned that if these students are unable to appear for the examinations, the responsibility will lie with the concerned school authorities. As per prior announcements, punitive action will be taken against the schools in accordance with board regulations. The board described the situation as an instance of irresponsibility on the part of the schools.
On Saturday, the board also released the contact numbers of the central control room for the secondary examinations. The helplines will remain operational from 6 AM to 9 PM until February 12. The numbers are: (033) 2321 3813, (033) 2337 2282, and (033) 2359 2277. For urgent requirements, additional contact numbers are (033) 2321 3089, 3816, and 3216.
