Jamshedpur, Feb. 26: The Sakchi sub-divisional jail will be the first prison in Jharkhand to have a centre of the National Institute for Open School (NIOS).

A Central government body the NIOS has recently sent a letter to the jail management indicating the same. The NIOS was formerly called the National Open School. Altogether 27 undertrials, including some convicts, would be appearing for their secondary examination to be organised by NIOS from March 24 to April 25 in the jail campus. While the practicals would be conducted from March 24-28, theory exams are scheduled from April 12.

According to jail superintendent Deepak Vidyarthi, the undertrials and the convicts would be appearing for the exams as an affiliate of the city-based Vig English School.

He added that altogether 37 undertrials have filled in the examination forms. “Out of 37 undertrials, seven have been transferred to Ghatshila jail while 10 have obtained bail from the court. Twenty-seven of them would be sitting for the exams inside the jail campus,” Vidyarthi said. He added that the seven undertrials transferred to Ghatshila jail would be brought back here before the exams.

The jail superintendent said co-ordinators from NIOS and the staff of Vig English School would be conducting the exams, which will start with home science practicals from March 24. “In fact, the staff of Vig English School were supposed to conduct a practical demonstration this morning but the plan had to be postponed for tomorrow,” Vidyarthi said.

“We have arranged study timings (from 12 noon to 2 pm) for these undertrials. The Prison Fellowship of India (PFI), Jamshedpur Chapter is sponsoring the exams,” Vidyarthi said.