Bhubaneswar: The state government will install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at all examination centres during matriculation and Plus Two examinations from the 2018-19 academic year in an attempt to check malpractice and ensure transparency during the examinations.

The CCTV cameras will be installed with an aim to make all examination centres "zero copy" zones.

"We will address the main centres first and gradually all the centres will be covered. We plan to introduce CCTV cameras in all the exam centres from next year," said school and mass education secretary Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra while addressing a workshop on quality education and restructuring of examination procedures in Bhubaneswar.

Mohapatra further stressed that teachers should not encourage students to qualify in the exams through unfair means.

While 1,516 examinees were caught cheating, rumours of question papers of several subjects going viral on social media was also a cause of concern during the matriculation examination this year.

The number of students caught cheating this year was the highest in the last three years. While 1,082 students were booked for malpractice in 2017, the figure was 1,449 in 2016.

As many as 145 students from arts stream were caught for malpractice during the political science paper during the annual Plus II examination this year, while around 63 students were booked during the English paper.

The Board of Secondary Education (BSE) and the Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE), the custodians of the Class-X and Plus-II examinations, have been intimated about the decision.

There are also plans to bring in various reforms in the examination rules.

"A committee has been formed and will be led by the board chairman and five other members. All suggestions made in the workshop will be submitted to the committee after which necessary steps will be taken," he said.