SRINAGAR: The annual board examinations for Class 12th conducted by the J&K State Board of School Education (JKBOSE) commenced in Kashmir on Thursday with COVID-19 safety measures in place. The students at the various examination centers in and outside Srinagar district were seen adhering to the COVID SOPs like wearing masks, sanitizing hands and maintaining social distancing. The conduct of exams amid COVID-19 is a major school related activity taking place since the pandemic broke out in Kashmir in March this year. As many as 1, 80,034 students have this year registered for the annual regular exams of 10th and 12th standard in the valley and winter zones of Jammu division. According to official figures, around 1,06,465 students including 74,465 from the valley and 32,000 from Jammu winter zones would be writing 10th standard exams for which J&K Board has set up 1145 exam centers that includes 814 in the valley and 331 in the winter zones of Jammu. In view of the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic, this year the number of exam centers have been almost doubled as compared to previous year. It is pertinent to mention that annual 10th class exams also began in the valley from Wednesday. An official from J&K Board said that various preventive measures have been put in place to minimize the spread of the infection
