New Delhi, February 18 – The Uttar Pradesh Board Class 10 and Class 12 examinations commenced on Wednesday, with over 52 million students appearing across the state. The examinations are being conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP) and will continue until March 12.
From Lucknow to Prayagraj, and from Ghaziabad to Varanasi, thousands of students arrived at their respective centers early in the morning, many expressing nervousness but also feeling confident about their preparation. The state administration and education department have implemented strict monitoring measures, including CCTV surveillance, flying squads, static magistrates, and police teams, to ensure the examinations are conducted peacefully and without cheating.
In Lucknow, a student shared her feelings on the first day of the exam, saying she was slightly anxious but prepared to handle the pressure.
"I am a little nervous, but I will manage because I have prepared," the student said.
In Ghaziabad, the Uttar Pradesh Board high school and intermediate examinations began with a total of 53,888 students appearing in the district. According to officials, this includes 28,574 high school students and 25,314 intermediate students.
District authorities said all examination centers were under strict surveillance, with special teams assigned for checking, monitoring, and ensuring discipline at the gates. Students were also seen looking for their roll numbers and center details outside the examination buildings.
In Ghazipur, the board exams began under tight security arrangements. Approximately 1.37 million students are appearing in the district, with CCTV monitoring in place at examination centers. Officials said special attention is being given to sensitive centers, and the movement of candidates is being regulated to avoid crowding.
Local authorities said that security personnel have been deployed in adequate numbers, and flying squads are conducting surprise inspections to prevent the use of unfair means.
In Varanasi, the Uttar Pradesh Board examinations began with 118 examination centers set up across the district. The administration has divided the district into 12 sectors to strengthen monitoring and ensure smooth conduct of the exams.
Officials said one magistrate has been deployed for each zone and sector, while five flying teams will patrol the area throughout the examination period.
A student from Varanasi, Honey, said the first day brought nervousness, but the arrangements outside the center were encouraging.
"I am a little nervous today, but the preparation is really good outside. Let’s see what happens," she said.
In Bulandshahr, standing magistrates have been deployed at 109 examination centers, and Bulandshahr has been divided into 12 sectors and seven zones for administrative monitoring.
The exam is being conducted under strict surveillance through six mobile squads, along with police deployment at multiple points. Every candidate will be monitored through CCTV cameras, and officials said extensive preparations have been made to conduct a peaceful and cheating-free examination.
In Chandauli, the administration said the board examinations have started with heightened vigilance to ensure fairness. District centers have been divided into five zones and 15 sectors to strengthen monitoring and improve arrangements.
In Unnao, several exam centers witnessed heavy crowds in the morning as students arrived early to confirm their roll numbers and seating arrangements.
At the Atal Bihari Inter College examination center, a large number of high school students were seen gathering outside the gates before the entry process began. Students from different schools arrived for the Hindi subject examination, which was scheduled on the first day.
Deepanshu, a student of Purnima Vidya Inter College, said he felt confident about the paper and praised the arrangements at the center.
"My name is Deepanshu. I am a student of Purnima Vidya Inter College. There is a Hindi subject paper. I have come to the Atal Bihari Inter College center. The preparation for the paper is good, and all the arrangements here are good," he said.
Another student, Sonali Yadav, a resident of Sikanderpur and a student of Maa Gayatri Vidya Mandir Inter College, said she had prepared well for the Hindi paper.
"There is a Hindi subject paper, and I have prepared well. I have come to the Atal Bihari Inter College center in Unnao," she said.
The centre administrator of Atal Bihari Inter College said it was the first day of the examination and the staff were making efforts to keep the atmosphere positive for students.
"Today is the first day of the examination. Entry is starting. Children are being admitted by applying a tilak so that they do not feel scared during the exam. A total of 399 children will appear in our centre. Today is the Hindi subject paper," the administrator said.
Similarly, in Prayagraj, the UPBSE began its high school and intermediate board examinations. Candidates arrived at the Shivcharan Das Kanhaiya Lal Inter College in Prayagraj nearly an hour before the exam began.
After undergoing rigorous security checks, students were allowed to enter the examination halls. The board has issued detailed guidelines to ensure a peaceful, transparent and cheating-free examination.
A student in Prayagraj said that although she felt anxious, she was confident about her preparation for the Hindi paper.
"Our Hindi paper is today. I have prepared well and, though I was a little anxious…" the student said.
With strict arrangements in place across districts and lakhs of students appearing, the UP Board exams are expected to continue smoothly over the coming weeks as authorities maintain close monitoring to prevent malpractice and ensure fairness for all candidates.