Bihar to build 29 high-tech examination buildings-cum-strong rooms across 27 districts

The Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) is set to develop 29 multipurpose high-tech examination buildings-cum-strong rooms across 27 districts, with the project estimated to cost ₹330.07 crore.

Administrative approval for the project has been granted to the Building Construction Department after the required technical clearance.

The proposed infrastructure is intended to provide dedicated examination facilities and reduce the dependence on schools and colleges for conducting competitive and other examinations.

Bihar Development Commissioner Mihir Kumar Singh said land measuring between 1 acre and 1.5 acres has been identified for each facility.

Two examination buildings will be constructed in Madhubani and Samastipur, while the remaining districts covered under the project will receive one facility each.

The four-storey buildings will be designed to accommodate up to 4,000 candidates at a time. Examinations will be conducted under round-the-clock CCTV surveillance, with the facilities also serving as strong rooms, answer-sheet storage centers and evaluation centers.

The infrastructure will support multiple stages of the examination process. After examinations are completed, answer sheets can be stored at the centers and subsequently evaluated there.

The facilities will also have arrangements for barcoding and scanning answer sheets and other examination-related material.

Dedicated strong rooms will be used to keep confidential examination material securely. The buildings will be equipped with fire alarms, firefighting equipment and disaster-management systems. CCTV cameras will operate 24x7 to provide continuous surveillance and recording at the centers.

The project is aimed at addressing the disruption caused when schools and colleges are used as examination venues.

Competitive examinations conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission, Bihar Staff Selection Commission, Bihar Technical Service Commission, Bihar Police Subordinate Services Commission and other government departments and commissions are currently held at educational institutions at the district level.

Using school and college campuses for these examinations can affect regular classes, internal examinations and other academic activities.

The proposed dedicated centers are expected to allow educational institutions to maintain their normal academic schedules while large-scale examinations are conducted.

The facilities could also help address logistical difficulties faced by candidates. Holding examinations at dedicated centers in district headquarters is expected to make examination venues easier to identify and reduce travel-related inconvenience for candidates.

BSEB has previously established examination buildings-cum-regional offices in the nine districts that serve as divisional headquarters. These facilities are being used for online examinations, free non-residential coaching and as regional offices of the board.

The latest project will extend dedicated examination infrastructure to other districts covered by the approval. The multipurpose design will allow the buildings to be used beyond the examination process.

The proposed strong rooms will also have a role during elections. Sensitive election-related material can be stored in these facilities, potentially reducing the need to use school and college buildings for election-related storage and operations.

This arrangement is expected to minimize interruptions to teaching and academic activities during election periods.

The same infrastructure can therefore serve both examination and election-related requirements while reducing pressure on educational institutions.

Once construction is completed, the examination buildings-cum-strong rooms will be handed over to the respective schools or colleges for operation. The institutions will also be able to use the facilities for their own academic activities and internal examinations when required.

Revenue generated through the use of the facilities will be shared between BSEB and the concerned educational institution.

With dedicated examination centers, secure storage facilities and evaluation infrastructure being developed under the project, Bihar aims to strengthen the logistical framework supporting competitive and board-related examinations while limiting disruption to regular education.