Class 10, 12 exams to begin from April 18

The state government has finally announced the schedule for board examinations. The class 10 and 12 examinations will begin from April 18 in Ahmed-abad, Vadodara and six other centres - Bharuch, Jambusar, Modasa, Himmatnagar, Viramgam and Prantij. The state education department has changed almost 70 centres from communally sensitive areas in Ahmedabad and Vadodara to safer areas for peaceful conduct of exams.

Apart from the seating arrange-ments the state government has also changed timings of the board examinations.

The first paper of the day, instead of 10.30 a.m., will begin at 9.30 a.m. and the second paper, instead of 3 p.m., will begin at 2 p.m. The examination order will remain same as the one announced earlier.

The decision was taken in a meeting convened by the Chief Minister Narendra Modi with the top officials of the home and education department in Gandhinagar on Tuesday. The examinations were postponed in these centres due to commu-nal violence after the Godhra carnage.

Education Minister Anandi Patel said all necessary arrange-ments have been made to con-duct the exams peacefully. Examination centres in commu-nally sensitive areas in these towns and cities have been shift-ed to safer areas, she added. Exams of remaining papers will be conducted in those centres where exams were postponed after completion of two or three papers.

The state education department has made arranged for buses to take students to examination centres from communally sensi-tive areas of Ahmedabad. Ms. Patel said the police will escort these buses. Tight security arrangements will also be pro-vided at each examination cen-tre, she added.

Students or parents can request to the education department to start the buses from their areas, the minister said.

Talking about the change of centres Ms. Patel said they have changed the venue of examinations, however the seat numbers will remain the same. All the schools have been informed about the change of venue and students can get the information from their schools, she added.

Venues of around 70 centres have been changed in Ahmedabad and Vadodara. All the centres from the Walled City area of Ahmedabad have been shifted to western and eastern parts of the city. The examination centres, which have been changed, include 24 of class 12 and 30 of class 10 in Ahmedabad.

Vice-chairman of the Gujarat Secondary Education Board R.M. Patel said that the board has made all necessary preparations for examinations in the eight-centres. Students and their parents heaved a sigh of relief after the announcement of examination dates.

Republished from The Asian Age