The state higher secondary council wants to provide hand-held metal detectors at every examination centre next year to prevent students from entering exam halls with mobile phones or other electronic communication devices.

This year, out of the 2,341 exam venues across the state, hand-held metal detectors were provided only at 176 sensitive centres.

This year, the council cancelled the papers of 41 candidates for entering the exam centres with mobile phones.

In February, the state education department told the council they wanted hand-held metal detectors at all higher secondary examination centres next year.

The council secretary, Priyadarshini Mallick, said just as they had brought all the centres under CCTV surveillance this year, they want to have hand-held metal detector surveillance at all centres next year.

“Last year we had to cancel the exams of 41 students on charges of entering the exam centres with mobile phones. We want to provide hand-held metal detectors in all the centres next year so that not a single case is reported,” council president Chiranjeeb Bhattacharya told The Telegraph.

Next year around 5 lakh candidates will write the examination whereas 7.5 lakh candidates wrote the examination this year.

“Around 5 lakh candidates wrote Madhyamik in 2023, nearly as many candidates will write HS next year. So the number of venues next year will be less. Whatever the count, we want to provide metal detectors in all centres,” said the council president.

The council secretary Mallick said they might ask the schools to buy the metal detectors.

“We will discuss with the department whether the council would provide funds to facilitate the purchase,” she said.