CUTTACK: The Board of Secondary Education (BSE), Orissa, for the first time has decided to open two examination centres at two separate jails in the State to facilitate the inmates to sit for the forthcoming matriculation examination next month.

Exams next month

"At least seven inmates at Choudwar circle jail and three others at Koraput district jail appear this year's matriculation examinations that are scheduled to begin on March 7.

Their respective jail premises have been declared as examination centres at which a senior teacher of the nearby high school will be appointed as the centre superintendent and the jail welfare officer will function as deputy centre superintendent," says BSE Controller of Examination Manmohan Swain.

"Currently more than 20 jail inmates across the State have enrolled themselves with the Indira Gandhdi National Open University (IGNOU) for degree courses in different subjects.

Study material

They are receiving the study material and appearing the examinations regularly. Even two undertrial prisoners in Dhenkanal jail appeared the engineering examination last year," says Choudwar circle jail welfare officer Sibabrata Ghosh.

Senior jail authorities have welcomed the BSE move to have examination centres in jails as many inmates are now interested in pursuing higher studies while serving their sentence.

Facility at other jails

Jails in Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Dhenkanal, Balangir and Berhampur are regularly serving as examination centres for different examinations under the IGNOU, which has also extended its cooperation to allow jail inmates to go for higher studies.

Meanwhile, BSE sources indicate that a record number of 3,88,014 candidates would appear the matriculation examination this year which is about 26,000 more than last year.

Exam-going candidates

As many as 3,38,298 students from 6,383 recognised schools will take the examination as regular candidates in 1,713 centres while 61,819 ex-regular candidates will appear the examination at another 312 centres, according to sources.

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