Though mobile phones inside the examination centre are prohibited for students taking the exams, the staff on duty can carry phones. And it is with these phones that “alerts” regarding flying squads are sent to the staff on duty.

“We have given instructions to the staff, including superintendent, deputy superintendent and supervisor, to switch off their cell phones during the exam and only the phone of controller of a centre remains on to pass any instructions,” said District Education Officer (DEO), Secondary, Harinder Sahni.

He, however, admitted that some staff members have been misusing their cell phones. “When flying squads reach a school, within a few minutes the examination centres of that area get to know about it through mobile phones and are alerted,” he said.

On asking how it can be checked, the DEO said the squads had been told to change the area immediately after checking one school of one tehsil or raid various schools of an area simultaneously.

A teacher in a government school in Phillaur said their centre superintendent had even given instructions to get in touch with the staff of other centres on mobile phone to get any information about flying squads.

“On Saturday when the English exam of Class VIII was taking place, our centre supervisor immediately asked us to throw all objectionable material in a basket after he got information on his cell that a flying squad had reached an examination centre close to ours,” he said.

Even Class IV employees have been provided cell phones to inform officials inside the centre about the arrival of flying squads.

“We have been asked to give a missed call whenever anyone enters the premises of the examination centre,” said a Class IV employee in a school near the city.

“Even parents have given cell phones to teachers with the connivance of the centre superintendent to help their wards. The teacher facilitates a conversation between the student and parents during the exam,” revealed a teacher of a school on the Jalandhar-Kapurthala road.