Amid tight security, around 7 lakh aspirants are flocking to examination centers in West Bengal to appear for the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) on Sunday after a gap of five years.
The internet will be shut down in six districts before the exam begins at 12 noon. “In Uttar Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur and Dakshin Dinajpur districts, no data related message will be transmitted in the interest of larger public. This order will 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 exam is conducted to recruit assistant teachers in government aided/government/junior primary schools for classes 1 to 5. A total of 6,90,931 candidates will appear for the TET exam which will be held at 1,453 centres. this year from 12 pm to 2.30 pm. The West Europe Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) has made biometric testing of TET candidates mandatory, apart from installing CCTV cameras at all examination centres. Metal detectors have also been provided for frisking seekers. The board has also sent guidelines to all district magistrates and police commissioners of Kolkata.
The metro rail and state transport department has announced additional services so that candidates do not face any difficulties in reaching their examination centres. The Metro has been crowded since morning unlike a normal Sunday. The metro railway has 138 trains (69 UP and 69 DN) — eight additional train services (4 UP and 4 DN) — for TET candidates on the North-South Corridor (Blue Line). Metro services are available at seven-minute intervals before the start of the exam, instead of the usual 15-minute interval on Sundays, and in the afternoon, trains will run at 10-minute intervals.
Many candidates reached their examination center well before the specified time. The gates were opened at 9.30 am. “I’ve 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 who was waiting outside City College.
According to the instructions issued by the board, no candidate will be allowed to leave the examination center before completing the examination, except for urgent and unavoidable reasons. The board has also issued some instructions to the superintendents. Students are not allowed to enter the examination centers without an admission card.
Watches, scales, sunglasses, headphones, mobile phones, water bottles and all electronic products are prohibited at the examination centre.
The transport department has opened a control room at the office of the public vehicles department in Bealtala (contact number 033-24751621) to help candidates reach their examination centres. The control room, headed by a deputy director of the transport directorate, together with two motor vehicle inspectors and other staff members, will remain operational until the examination process is completed.
