In a bid to ensure fair and cheating-free examinations, the Uttar Pradesh Board of Secondary Education has released new guidelines. The state CM has directed the UP board authorities to take all necessary steps to ensure that the upcoming board examinations starting in February are free from malpractices on the part of the students.

So, ahead of the exams, here's what you need to know about the revised guidelines.

The exams for UP board-affiliated schools in Lucknow, Kanpur and other districts, for classes 10 and 12 are scheduled to begin on February 16, for which the guidelines have been released.

• 50% of the invigilators at examination centres will be from outside while the teacher of the subject for which the exam is being held will not be put on duty as an invigilator.

• No female examinee will be frisked by a male invigilator.

• Students as well as invigilators will not be allowed to use a mobile, calculator or any other electronic device during the examination.

• Every examination hall will have two invigilators while at least three invigilators will be assigned in a hall having more than 40 students.

• Female invigilators will be assigned at the centres where the examination for girls is being held.

• No invigilator, whose acquaintances or relatives are taking the examination will be assigned at that particular examination centre.

• A record for the deployment of invigilators at examination centres will be prepared by the concerned school principal or centre administrator and sent to the district inspector of schools.

• Teachers of the schools whose students are appearing at that centre will not be deployed at the centre.

• Invigilators will be required to ensure the confidentiality and security of the question papers.

• The invigilators will also be required to ensure that the candidates do not enter the examination hall with any material for copying, mobile phone, calculator, or any such electronic device.

• The invigilator will inspect the examination hall and ensure that there is no text material, poster, chart or written instructions on the blackboard, which could be beneficial for the examinees.

The exams for classes 10 & 12 are be held in two shifts – from 8 am to 11:15 am and from 2 pm to 5:30 pm. Also, class 10 examinations will end on March 3 while the class 12 examinations will end on March 4.