Jamshedpur: East Singhbhum deputy commissioner Amit Kumar on Tuesday met district education department officials and about 100 superintendents of various examination centres of the district to discuss arrangements for the upcoming Jharkhand Academic Council matric and intermediate examinations.

According to the district education department, a total of 23,701 students will take the matric at 71 centres and 20,604 students will appear for their intermediate examination at 26 centres in the district. The examinations will start from March 8.

Following the one-and-half hour meeting at the district collectorate that began at 11am and was also attended by East Singhbhum district education officer R.K.P. Singh, it was decided that no candidate would be allowed to enter the centres with their cellphones.

"Till last year, students used to come with phones which they used to submit outside the examination hall. This year they will have to send any kind of electronic gadget back with their kins. They will not be allowed in with any kind of gadgets at the centre. The administration is very strict with this decision. We have always conducted smooth examinations in the past and this year we are trying our best," said ADM (law and order) Subodh Kumar.

District education officer R.K.P. Singh said all students would be properly checked at the entry points and the centre in charges have been asked to reach the treasury office on time to collect the question papers and answer sheets and to cross check the dates and the subjects.

With temperatures on the rise, the DC has asked centre superintendents to keep backups ready in case of power cuts. He has also said lights and sufficient water for examinees should also be prearranged. The district administration will depute one magistrate at each centre while a patrolling magistrate for every three or four centres will also be deputed.

"Students should not face any problem. We have asked all the superintendents to arrange for electricity and water. Cleaning also has to be done at the centres because unclean classrooms and furniture inconveniences students. The environment should be conducive enough for examination. We will also arrange better seating arrangements with sufficient desks and benches for the examination.

"The block education officers have already been informed about the same," said district education officer, R.K.P. Singh.