Compartment exams: PSEB increases number of centres in Ludhiana to maintain social distancing

Punjab School Education Board has increased the number of examination centres for compartment exams of Classes 10 (open school) and 12 from 17 to 42 in Ludhiana to maintain social distancing.

The examination will begin on October 26. As many as 4,981 (1,712 of Class 12 and 3,269 of Class 10) candidates are expected to appear in the exams.

The examination will begin at 11am and conclude at 2.15pm. As per the instructions from the board, candidates have to reach the centre one hour earlier so that the staff can conduct thermal screening and can direct them to sit in the classrooms allotted to them. If any student has any Covid-19 symptoms then he/she will be seated in a separate room. The students have also been directed to wear masks, carry sanitisers and bring transparent water bottles.

The board also directed the centre controllers to ensure a gap of six feet between students while deciding the seating plan.

To ensure proper physical distancing inside the halls, the invigilators will not distribute or collect the answer sheets. Students will pick up one of the sheets kept at the invigilators’ tables according to their roll numbers and after attempting the paper, will put them back on the table.

The board is sending Rs 700 to all the centre controllers to purchase hand sanitizers and soaps to maintain hygiene on the premises. The schools which are set up as examination centres will have to get their premises cleaned and sanitised two days before the exam.

PSEB controller of examination Janak Raj Mehrok said, “We have increased the number of centres in Punjab to maintain social distancing. The centre controllers have been instructed to follow all SOPs and make necessary arrangements to ensure the safety of the students and the staff on duty. We are also sending funds to examination centres to purchase hand sanitisers and soaps.”