The schools were blacklisted after reports of mass copying and poor facilities were backed up by physical verification and inspection. The government had announced that it wanted “error-free” exams.

On Tuesday, the Board had released a list of 8,944 centres for 71 districts, where exams will be held in March. While Ballia, which education minister Rangnath Mishra recently visited, topped the list with 65 blacklisted centers, Kaushambi has 52. Even Allahabad, where the office of the UP Board is situated, has 23 such centers.

According to sources, the Board has shortlisted 36 such centres in Mathura, 39 in Aligarh, 47 in Deoria, 30 in Azamgarh and 24 in Agra district.

According to the Board’s norms, a classroom of 30 ft by 20 ft can seat a maximum of 40 students during examinations. But the present scenario in the state tells a different story.

Sample this: Vidyawati Devi Uchtar Madhyamik Vidyalaya, Shanker Dhal Naini (code no. 1296), which has only four rooms, has been made a centre for the 2009 Boards for the first time. It will have to accommodate 441 examinees during the examinations. Similarly, Sahil Shiksha Niketan Balika Uchtar Madhyamik Vidyal-aya, Naini (code no. 1473) which has only six rooms, will have to find place for 720 examinees. Ram Sakhi Sharma Uchtar Madhyamik Vidyalaya in Naini’s Triveni Nagar has only three rooms against 489 examinees. Lala Ram Lal Agrawal Madhyamik Vidyala-ya and Ram Pratap Madhyamik Vidyalaya in Sirsa, which were also blacklisted, seem to have received a reprieve.

“The education minister has held review meetings at Allahabad, Meerut, Aligarh, Vara-nasi, Ballia and a few other places to ensure that no blacklisted and sub-standard schools be made centres. But we have received reports of 625 such centers,” said Bijendra Rai, a teacher from Balia, who has been running from pillar to post to get his school included in the list.

“The Board has received complaints against some district inspectors of schools regarding the allotment of centres to sub-standard and blacklisted schools. We are probing the matter,” said UP Board Secretary Prabha Tripathi. She added that though a few blacklisted schools have been made centres, the Board has decided to change the school staff to check mass copying and unfair means.

“Additional directors from every zone have been made nodal officers to look into such complaints,” Tripathi said.

Minister Rangnath Mishra said: “I have appointed observers for all zones. They will probe the complaints and submit a report by February 15.”