The state higher secondary council has written to district magistrates and heads of the institutions to ensure uninterrupted power supply and availability of ORS during the ongoing HS and Class XI annual examinations.
The last two days of the HS exams are April 26 and 27. A notice signed by council president Chiranjeeb Bhatacharya on Monday says: “You are requested to take the following measures for the interest of the candidates. 1) Ensure uninterrupted power supply during the examination 2) (Ensure) Uninterrupted supply of clean drinking water in all the venues, 3) Adequate ORS to be kept in all the venues for emergency purposes…. 4) Facilitate instant basic medical attention to sick candidates under heat wave conditions.”
The Bengal board’s higher secondary examinations began on April 2. After a break because of the byelections to the Ballygunge Assembly seat and the Asansol parliamentary constituency, the exams resumed on April 16.
Over 7.45 lakh candidates are writing the HS exams from their respective schools. The school-leaving exams are being held at 6,727 venues. The Class XI annual exams, which more than 7 lakh students are writing, started on April 2 as well.
The Class XII students are writing the HS exams in the first half, from 10am to 1.15pm, and the Class XI students are writing their annual examinations in the second half, from 2pm to 5.15pm.
An official of the HS council said the searing heat from Sunday had them worried because of the staggering number of students writing their exams across West Bengal.
“We have requested for an interrupted power supply because any disruption in service could severely inconvenience an examinee,” he said.