KARACHI(National Times)- The Sindh government has decided to implement a modern watermarking system to curb cheating in exams, enabling authorities to quickly trace leaked papers.
The announcement came during a high-level meeting chaired by the Minister for Universities and Educational Boards, Ismail Rahu, regarding preparations for the upcoming academic year exams across Sindh.
The meeting was attended by chairpersons of all educational boards in the province and focused on exam center security, furniture, drinking water, electricity, and measures to prevent cheating. Officials were also briefed on exam material procurement, tenders, and budget matters.
Minister Ismail Rahu confirmed that exams across Sindh will be held on their scheduled dates despite current challenges. From April 7, approximately 1,353,258 students from grades 9 to 12 will participate in exams at over 1,600 centers across the province.
According to the minister, in Karachi, exams for grades 11 and 12 will begin on April 25, while grades 9 and 10 will start on April 7. In the Sukkur division, grades 9 and 10 will begin on March 30, and grades 11 and 12 will start on April 15. A provincial-level complaint cell will be established at the Secretary of Boards’ office to monitor exam centers and vigilance teams.
Ismail Rahu emphasized the need for transparency and timely conduct of exams, warning that strict action will be taken against board chairpersons in case of paper leaks.
The Sukkur and Shaheed Benazirabad divisions will conduct all exams under e-marking, while the Larkana Board will implement e-marking for eight papers from grades 9 to 12. In Karachi, all grade 9 papers and only two Matric papers will be conducted under e-marking.
The minister also instructed that issues regarding drinking water, furniture, and other facilities at exam centers be resolved immediately. Relevant authorities were asked to ensure no load shedding occurs, mobile phones will be banned at all centers, and Section 144 will be enforced to maintain strict discipline.
