Patna: Bihar School Examination Board is readying elaborate security arrangements for the Intermediate and matriculation examinations that start on February 6 and 21 respectively this year.

District magistrates have been told to enforce Section 144 of CrPC in a radius of 200m around exam centres to prevent crowds from gathering. There will be an invigilator for every 25 students. The invigilator choice will be random so that no invigilator is deputed at a centre for more than one time. There will be one video camera for every 500 candidates, and the board has asked asked DMs and superintendents of police to identify sensitive (cheating-prone) centres.

DMs and SPs have been told to ensure deployment of adequate police personnel at examination centres.

The drive comes against the board being rocked by multiple scams and allegations of cheating.

Board chairman Anand Kishor said: "To check unfair means employed by students in examination and intervention of external agencies in evaluation work, the board this year has decided to introduce new measures."

To prevent fudging of marks, the board will not rope in education department officials in bar coding of copies.

Government officials in the rank of additional district magistrates (ADM) from departments other than education will also be appointed as chief secrecy officers in all of the state's 38 districts.

These chief secrecy officers will be assisted by six deputy secrecy officers who too will be from other departments. The education department has issued instructions to all DMs, SPs about the measures to be adopted while bar coding of answer papers. The DMs, SPs have been asked to carry out bar coding of answer sheets by January 31 and till February 4 their training process has to be completed.