Following an eleventh-hour change in venue, the students manhandled the invigilators, teachers and centre staff and tore up the examination papers at Radha Raman Inter College and Malti Devi Girls College in Ghoorpur. The Hindi Paper I exam had to be cancelled there and it will be held later.

“It was a mistake on part of the department to change the centre at the last moment as it created a lot of confusion. The Board will ensure that such a mistake is not repeated,” said Prabha Tripathi, secretary of the Board.   

The students of Shubham Inter College, Karma, were allotted Shiv Kumari Inter College, Karchana as their centre. When the students reached the venue, they found that the centre had been shifted to Radha Raman Inter College in Ghoorpur. After travelling 30 kms, they reached Radha Raman Inter College, only to find that the exam had already begun and they were late by an hour. Though they explained the problem, the centre manager did not allow them to appear for the exams.

Consequently, they blocked the Rewa Road and went on a rampage, damaging over half-a-dozen vehicles. Then, entering the Radha Raman Inter College and Malti Devi Girls College, they disrupted the ongoing examinations. Teachers and staff who came in their way were thrashed. 

Finally Dinesh Singh, District Inspector of Schools, Allahabad, came and assured the students in writing that their Hindi Paper I exams will be conducted later. Plus, Shiv Kumari Inter College will be the centre for the rest of the exams. Later in the evening, District Magistrate Rajeev Agrawal ordered an inquiry into the incident. Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Karchana, DS Upadhaya, will conduct the probe and submit his report within three days.   

In some other centres, Monday's examinations, were conducted amid utter chaos. According to reports, managers at 39 centres could not reach on time. Neither could 246 invigilators at 57 centres — all of which delayed the commencement of the exams there.

This year, the UP Board has provided for only one invigilator per room instead of two, which led to the delay in the commencement of the exams.

It was also found in nearly two dozen centres, a number of directives issued by the district administration for free and fair examinations, were flouted.