In order to ensure better monitoring, the total number of examination centres has been reduced to 152 from last year's 250. The number of sensitive centres, earlier 30, has been increased to 41, which will under proper vigilance.

“These sensitive centres will be on the hit list of everyone, right from education officers, officials of the district administration as well as the police. We are preparing vigilance of these centres in such a manner that none of students would dare to cheat.” said Ganesh Kumar, District Inspector of School.

The list of sensitive centres, meanwhile, has also been forwarded to the respective police stations.

Under the plan, each centre will have a “static magistrate”, who will be present from the time of distribution of question papers to the sealing of filled answer-sheets. The static magistrates will either be development officers or tehsildars, who will be given special powers of the magistrate for the exam. The centres will be under heavy security as well. Apart from two armed guards at each centre, the District Inspector of Schools has asked senior police officials to ensure presence of a Sub-Inspector at each centre to ensure better monitoring.

This is not all. While the education department has formed three to four flying squads under various inspectors of schools, the District Magistrate has asked all Additional District Magistrates, Sub-Divisional Magistrates and Additional City Magistrates to hold surprise inspection of centres under their jurisdiction. Sources inform that each officer has about six to seven schools each under him.

“While all magistrates have been asked to be vigilant in their respective areas and keep an eye on the centres, I will also make surprise visits to ensure that everything is in place,” said Chandra Bhanu, the District Magistrate of Lucknow.