ALLAHABAD: Uttar Pradesh Secondary Education Board (UPSEB) has ordered the district inspectors of school (DIoS) across the state not to force students appearing in class X and XII exams to take off their shoes and socks, days after the issue was raised in UP Assembly by BJP MLA Veer Vikram Singh Deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma has directed the UPSEB to take action on the matter to maintain the sanctity of the ongoing exams. There is no official order on banning footwear inside examination centres, but in a bid to be extra cautious invigilators had not allowed examinees with shoes and socks, said officials.“After surfacing of such incidents, the BJP MLA had raised the issue in the state Assembly under rule 51 on February 14,” said Neena Srivastava, secretary, UPSEB.Following this, the deputy CM issued an order to UPSEB to take action on the issue, asking it to ensure students are not put to any discomfort. Sharma holds the portfolio of secondary and higher education departments.Secretary, UPSEB, had on February 19 directed all the 75 DIoS conducting the exams across the state to ensure compliance of the order. UPSEB had conducted last paper of high school and intermediate on February 16 and the next would be held on February 21.In an attempt to be extra-cautious, some invigilators may have asked the students to take out their shoes. But order has been issued to stop the inhuman practice, added Srivastava.Last year also incidents of examinees being forced to remove shoes and socks inside classes were reported from various parts of the state. But UP Board had failed to take any action on the issue.To ensure copying free exams, the UPSEB had conducted exams under the surveillance of CCTV cameras in 2018. In the absence of any mandatory technical requirements, centre managers installed CCTVs sans microphone to facilitate cheating by way of dictation. This year, the state government has made audio-fitted cameras mandatory for the exams.

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