Bhubaneswar, Feb 17: The Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE) examinations for Class 12 students in Odisha are set to begin February 18 — Wednesday, and will continue until March 28.

Dr. Prashant Parida, Controller of Examinations, CHSE Odisha, confirmed that a total of 4,16,23 candidates will appear this year. The first day of the examination will feature the Literature paper for Science stream students.

Exams will be conducted from 10:00 m to 1:00 pm across 1,364 centres and 211 hubs. To ensure transparency and security, AI-powered cameras will monitor the exam halls.

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Strict gate checking will begin at 9:30 am, and candidates must be seated by 9:45 am. Answer booklets will be distributed 10 minutes before the exam, while question papers will be handed out five minutes prior to the start.

This year’s candidate distribution reflects a strong participation across streams:

• Arts: 2,56,707 students
• Commerce: 24,621 students
• Science: 1,14,363 students
• Vocational: 5,932 students

Gender-wise data shows 1,86,794 boys and 2,14,829 girls will sit for the exams. Special provisions have been made for differently-abled students, who will receive an extra hour to complete their papers. Authorities have also emphasized that students must use only black ballpoint pens for writing answers.

The CHSE has deployed special squads to curb malpractice and urged students and parents to stay away from misinformation or rumours circulating on social media. Officials reassured that strict measures are in place to maintain fairness and integrity throughout the examination process.

With heightened monitoring and clear instructions, the Odisha government aims to conduct the examinations smoothly.