Mysuru: Over 6.90 lakh candidates across the State will appear for the II PU exams starting tomorrow at 10.15 am with fool-proof security in place. Tomorrow’s subjects are Economics and Physics. The examination session will end at 1.30 pm.

This year, CCTV cameras have been installed at all 1,004 examination centres in the State and all the activities on the exam days will be monitored.

In Mysuru district, there are 50 centres (26 in city) that have been brought under CCTV surveillance, said Dr. Dayananda, Deputy Director of PU Education (DDPUE).

Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning, he said that arrangements have been made to despatch question papers and they will reach the respective centres half-an-hour before the exam time. “Vehicles carrying the question papers from the Treasuries to the exam centres (10 routes in Mysuru) have been equipped with GPS devices. The movement of the vehicles will be tracked live and if there is any deviation from the set route, the authorities will be alerted,” he said. In Mysuru, 37,205 candidates will take up the examinations. There are 13,341 students in the Science stream, 10,724 in Arts and 13,290 in Commerce. “Section 144 has been imposed 200 metres around all the exam centres and Xerox shops near the centres have been closed, Dr. Dayananda said.

All the 1,004 exam centres in the State, including Government PU colleges, are equipped with CCTV cameras to avoid any malpractice during exams.

Apart from exam centres, CCTV cameras have also been installed at district and taluk treasuries where question papers are kept. The cameras at the Treasuries have been linked to the mobile numbers of the PUE Department Director and Deputy Commissioner of the district concerned. In case of any threat or emergency, the DDPUE and  DC will get alerts.

“Over 25 officers have been appointed as vigilance squads and they will move across the district to prevent exam malpractice. Squads have been assigned even at far off places like Periyapatna Taluk,” he added.

Considering the massive question paper leak in 2016, the Department of PU Education has taken several measures under the secured examination system adopted during the 2017 exams. Along with CCTVs, the department has also directed all the exam centres to register biometric attendance for all the examination staffers.

CID to monitor phones

This time, official telephone numbers of all the officials involved in exam work will be monitored by the CID. Following the 2016 Chemistry question paper leak incident which led to the exam being postponed twice, the CID, which is handling the case, has decided to monitor the mobile numbers of the staffers.

Free bus rides

Students appearing for II PU exams can avail free transportation facility to the exam centre. KSRTC recently announced this. To avail this facility students have to show their hall ticket to the bus conductor.