Bihar to Construct High-Tech Examination Centers in 29 Districts with ₹330 Crore Investment

Patna, September 19 (Daily Kiran) : Bihar is set to enhance its examination infrastructure by constructing high-tech examination centers in 29 districts. This initiative, aimed at providing students with better and safer examination facilities while ensuring continuity in education, will involve an investment of approximately ₹330.07 crore.

Under the guidance of Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, the project has received administrative approval. Mihir Kumar Singh, the state’s Development Commissioner, announced plans for the construction of four-story multi-purpose examination centers. Each center will occupy about one to one-and-a-half acres of land and will be capable of accommodating around 4,000 candidates simultaneously, all under CCTV surveillance.

Currently, various examinations conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission, Bihar Staff Selection Commission, and other departments take place in schools and colleges. The new centers aim to reduce the reliance on educational institutions for exam administration, thereby minimizing disruptions to regular teaching activities.

After the examinations, these centers will also serve as secure storage and evaluation hubs for answer sheets. Facilities for barcoding and scanning answer sheets will be available as needed.

The examination centers will feature 24-hour CCTV monitoring, fire alarms, firefighting equipment, and disaster management systems. They will also securely store sensitive materials related to examinations and, if necessary, election-related materials.

In addition to the new centers, nine existing regional headquarters already operate examination centers and regional offices, facilitating online exams and free non-residential coaching. The establishment of these new facilities will expand the dedicated infrastructure for conducting examinations across the state.

An example of modern examination facilities is the Bapu Examination Complex in Kumhrar, Patna, which was inaugurated in 2023. This five-story complex can accommodate over 16,600 candidates at once and can host online exams for about 3,500 candidates. The new centers will also be available for schools and colleges to conduct their internal exams and other academic activities, further reducing the need for educational institutions to be repurposed during exams, thus minimizing interruptions to students’ studies.