Bhubaneswar, June 23: The results of this year’s matriculation examinations are likely to be published by the end of June.

School and mass education minister Pratap Jena today said that the Board of Secondary Education was ready to publish the results by the end of this month.

“Barring few official procedures all the process before publication of results have been completed. The results are likely to be published between June 27 and 29,” said Jena.

This year’s matriculation examination was marred by controversies in the wake of question paper leak and alleged mismanagement in evaluation of answer sheets.

Earlier, the Board of Secondary Education had deferred the matriculation examinations by a fortnight following theft of a bulk of question papers for regular candidates from a high school in Puri district. Similarly, reports of evaluation of answer sheets in candle light and assessment of answer sheets soaked in water added to the controversies.

Nearly 5.11 lakh students, including 4.56 lakh regular, 54,462 ex-regular and 6,500 madhayma candidates, sat for the exam at 2,362 centres across Odisha this year.

With the minister’s announcement, the anxious examinees have heaved a sigh of relief. They said that any further delay would jeopardise their future.

The results of the matriculation exams had been declared on June 25 last year.