Amid tight security, internet shutdown, lakhs reach exam centres in West Bengal to appear for TET after 5 years
Amid tight security, around 7 lakh aspirants are rushing to examination centres in West Bengal to appear for the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) on Sunday after a gap of five years.
Internet will be shut down in six districts before the examination starts at 12 noon. “In the districts of Uttar Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur and Dakshin Dinajpur, any data-related message shall not be transmitted in the larger public interest. This order shall come into force with effect from 11.30 am on December 11 to 2.30 pm,” read an order issued by the state government.
The TET examination is conducted for the recruitment of assistant teachers in government-aided/ government-sponsored/junior basic primary schools for classes 1 to 5. A total of 6,90,931 candidates will appear for the TET examination which will be held at 1,453 centres this year from 12 pm to 2.30 pm. The West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) has made biometric testing of TET candidates mandatory, besides installing CCTV cameras at all examination centres. Metal detectors have also been provided for frisking candidates. The board has also sent guidelines to all district magistrates and the Kolkata police commissioner.
The metro rail and state transport department has announced additional services so that candidates face no issues in reaching their examination centres. The Metro has been crowded since morning unlike usual Sundays. The metro rail is running 138 trains (69 UP and 69 DN) — additional eight (4 UP and 4 DN) train services — for TET candidates on the North-South Corridor (Blue Line). Metro services are available at an interval of seven minutes before the start of the examination, instead of the normal 15-minute interval on Sundays, while in the afternoon, trains will run at 10-minute intervals.
Many candidates reached their examination centre much before the stipulated time. The gates were opened at 9.30 am. “I have been preparing for it for a long time, so I’m not nervous. However, I prefer not to be late so I reached here at around 9 am,” said Prapti Sen, a candidate waiting outside City College.
According to the instructions issued by the board, no candidate…
