Alarmed over last year's Intermediate topper scam and controversies plaguing the Bihar Staff Selection Commission (BSSC), the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) is taking special steps for this year's Intermediate examination scheduled from February 14.

BSEB chairman Anand Kishor and education secretary Jitendra Srivastava on Thursday held a video-conference with district education officers (DEOs) and centre superintendents, urging the officials to ensure a fair Intermediate examination. Kishor directed the DEOs and centre superintendents to have one invigilator or examination supervisor for every 25 students. If any room accommodates over 25 students, the room must have more than one invigilator.

Invigilators are to be deployed randomly and they would be not be deployed at the same place the next day. Centre superintendents and DEOs have been asked to maintain a visitors' register where anybody entering a centre has to make an entry. All DEOs and centre superintendents have been asked to arrange for CCTV cameras at entrance gates and in verandahs of exam centres. Arrangement of a videographer will be made for every 500 students and if any exam centre has over 500 candidates, two videographers will be deputed.

Kishor said: "Directions have been issued to DEOs and centre superintendents to organise fair exams. Superintendents of centres where unfair incidents are reported will be taken to task."

"All DEOs have been asked to identify sensitive examination centres. Extra precaution will be taken at such centres," Srivastava said, adding that all candidates will be frisked at exam centres.

In 2015, after videos and photographs of parents scaling the school building at Mahnar in Vaishali went viral, questions were raised on the board conducting fair exams. Adding to the embarrassment was last year's Intermediatescam. Around 150 school and intermediate colleges' affiliations were cancelled following a probe.

The special investigation team (SIT) constituted by the state government to probe the case arrested several persons, including the then chairman, Lalkeshwar Prasad Singh, his wife and former JDU MLA Usha Sinha, then secretary Harihar Nath Jha, former secretary Srinivas Tiwary and others.

A senior board said on condition of anonymity: "The board is taking extra precautions for the 2017 Intermediate examination which will start on February 14. If there is any laxity in conducting the school exam, it will bring disgrace to the board."