When a team of The Indian Express visited an examination centre in Lucknow, it found students trying to scribble words in their answer sheet amid darkness. The reason: There was no provision of electricity supply at the centre. Over 300 students were allotted the Lucknow Montessori Inter College as their examination centre. But the officials did not bother to check that the school did not have electric supply for the last two years.

The officials present made temporary arrangements in three out of the 11 examination rooms. But by the time the second shift of the examination began, it also failed, leaving the students in darkness.

“This is just the first day, how are we supposed to write all our examinations in such dark rooms? We can do without fans but light is a must,” said Pramod Kumar Yadav, a Class XII student of St Lawrance Inter College and one of the examinees at the college. Examination centre in-charge K G Dixit said, “We did our best in the present circumstances.”

Ganesh Kumar, district inspector of schools, however, had a different story to tell.

“These days, the sunlight is so bright that there should be no need for electricity. If students complain of warm weather, then we will arrange for fans. Rest will be managed within next few days,” he said.

He, however, added: “There is some mismanagement as this is the first day of the examinations.”