SSC exams off to a start amidst troubles

Traffic woes, lack of furniture, power cuts greeted SSC students on the day one of the annual examinations on Friday although authorities claimed everything was quite normal and no complaints at all. A total of 33 students were debarred on the first day for resorting to mass copying in ten districts. Maximum number of students debarred was from Nalgonda district where eight students caught red-handed. Eleven invigilators have also been discharged for dereliction of duty, according to SSC Board officials. A total of 25 flying squads have fanned into 1900 centres across the state along with district observers and booked the cases. One impersonation case was also reported from Visakhapatnam. In Hyderabad, students have to face traffic troubles in some busy localities such as Ameerpet, Kukatpally, Dilsukhnagar, Vidyanagar etc. As the normal school timings and exam timing have clashed, many students were held up in traffic and spent anxious moments till they reached their respective Centres. Though RTC have plied 250 special buses, many of them could not be utilized by students as there were no stickers on some of the buses. Lack of furniture was not much in the city compared to districts but students of some schools in the suburban areas were forced to sit on the floor and write the exam. Officials said they could not hire them as there were no supplier shops in the vicinity and promised to get benches in the next couple of days. Section 144 near SSC exam centres Police on Friday clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC within 500 yards in and around all SSC examination centres in the twin cities for maintaining public order and to prevent any attempt to cause disturbance. The ban orders will be in force till April 9. Hyderabad city Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma issued orders imposing prohibitory orders from 6 am on Friday to 6 am on April 10.