Date:27/02/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/27/stories/2008022751650300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Arrangements on for SSC exams

Staff Reporter

Fifteen flying squads constituted

Kakinada: With less than a month to go for the SSC annual examinations to commence on March 24, the Education Department is racing against time to make adequate and foolproof arrangements for their smooth conduct.

A total of 77,300 students (58,771 regular, 6,317 private and 12,212 candidates who had failed in one or two subjects earlier) will be appearing for the examinations in 326 centres spread across 60 mandals.

The examinations are scheduled to be held from 9.30 a.m to 12 noon. Fifteen flying squads were constituted to cover Kakinada, Rajahmundry, Amalapuram, Rampachodavaram and Peddapuram. Besides, each examination centre will have a chief superintendent and a departmental officer.

Further, there will be one invigilator for every eight students. The APSRTC was asked to make necessary transport arrangements for the children.

The persistent problem of shortage of furniture in the centres of examinations is expected to be solved to a large extent due to the allocation of Rs. 5 crore for the provision of infrastructure in schools under the purview of Zilla Parishad.

As regards the examination results, District Education Officer Parvati told The Hindu that the pass percentage would be better than what it was last year as special care was taken care of the children lagging behind in different subjects by giving them coaching in as many as 800 rural study centres. Moreover, A, B, C and D grades were given to schools depending on their performance to infuse competitive spirit among the faculty and also students. This measure is expected to yield good results.

East Godavari ranked sixth in the State in 2006-07 with a pass percent of 75.05. The highest ever pass percent achieved by the district was 82.22 in 2003-04. It was 77.84 and 74.75 in the next two years (2004-05 and 2005-06).

DSC Counselling

The DEO said the scrutiny of original certificates of candidates (qualification, caste and study) who qualified in the DSC-2006 would be done on February 28 and counselling will be held the next day, both at the ZP’s old meeting hall in Kakinada.