Despite demands, no CCTVs at Tamil Nadu exam centres for state boards

Chennai: Centres for the upcoming state board examinations in March may not be equipped with CCTV cameras, despite rising demand. In 2024, after 167 students who took the chemistry exam at a centre in Villupuram scored centum, the department ordered an inquiry into possible malpractice. The findings of that inquiry have yet to be made public.At a press meet on Monday, school education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi said that CCTV cameras would be installed at locations housing question banks, but did not give an assurance that they would be set up in all test centres and classrooms. An official from the Directorate of Government Examinations (DGE) said that in Jan, chief and district education offices were instructed to track the number of CCTV cameras available at each examination centre within their jurisdiction. "We sent the DGE the information. We were not told to install new cameras," an official from the Chennai chief education office said. "With elections round the corner, little can be done now. There is no time to float a tender," another official said.
Director of government examinations Sasikala said the plan was to strengthen manual vigilance at exam centres. "We have over 4,900 teachers who will be part of the flying squad. Teachers on duty will be instructed to stay alert," she said. Many teachers say that this will be challenging. CCTV monitoring would not only deter malpractice but also curb misconduct among staff, they say. "Pocso cases have been reported in the past. It's better to have tight monitoring," a govt school headmaster said.