Patna (Bihar) [India], Feb 19. (ANI): Bihar Education Minister Krishna Nandan Prasad Verma on Monday appreciated the move by the State School Examination Board barring students from entering exam halls with shoes and socks.

Defending the decision, Verma said that the decision has been taken to save time spent on checking to prevent cheating.

Verma's statement comes a day after the Bihar School Examination Board had ordered the students to wear slippers to appear in the exams.

"It would be time consuming to make students take off their socks and shoes to conduct a check that is why such a decision was taken. The system is already in practice. Exams being held in a fair manner," Verma told ANI.

Yesterday, the Bihar School Examination Board said that students sitting for the board examinations shall not wear shoes and socks during the examination.

A circular was published by the Bihar School Examination Board, stating that the candidates attending the annual Secondary Examination "have to wear slipper in place of shoes and stocking on the exam day".

Bihar School Examination Board's President confirmed the reports and said, "Today, instructions have been circulated that no student is to wear shoes and socks while appearing for different competitive examinations organised in Bihar"

He added that this rule will also be implemented in the annual Secondary Examinations.

The instructions have been issued to all district education officers, candidates and parents in this regard.

The board examinations in Bihar start from February 21.

The new rule comes after, 985 students were expelled on Saturday for cheating during the intermediate examination conducted by the Bihar School Examination Board.

A total of 25 people were caught writing the exam on behalf of another candidate.

Rampant mass cheating in Bihar hits headlines every year.

In 2015, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry sought a report from Bihar government over reports of cheating during board exams in the state. (ANI)


This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI