A total of 9,55,139 candidates from the State (including 16,802 from Puducherry) have registered for the offline Class X public examination under State Board that began on Friday.
The students are taking their exams from 3,936 exam centres, 48 of which are in Puducherry. The State has been allocated 3,888 exam centres.
Of the 9,38,337 students in Tamil Nadu, 4,78,089 are boys and 4,60,247 are girls. One candidate is registered as a transgender.
As many as 30,765 candidates have registered as private candidates and 7,740 candidates with disabilities are also taking the public examination that is being held from May 6 till 30. According to the School Education Department, 242 prisoners, including 226 men and 16 women, are sitting for the exam.
Offline exams are being held after a gap of two years, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Wednesday, the Public Health Department issued a list of procedures that schools were expected to follow during the exam. Classes had to be cleaned with 1% sodium hypoclorite solution. There should be 6ft distance between two seats; thermal scanners, 3-ply masks and hand sanitisers were to be made available, the department had instructed.
While most students found the first day exam (language) easy to attempt, some teachers from private schools have raised the issue of strict observance of COVID-19 protocols which does not allow students to even carry a hand kerchief with them. Their angst was shared on social media groups. The next exam for the students, Optional language, will be held on May 14.
