Kolkata: All 120 schools selected as Madhyamik examination centres in Malda have decided to use hand-held metal detectors for the 2026 examination, after the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education confirmed that schools are free to introduce the measure if they choose to.
The move follows a collective proposal placed before WBBSE president Ramanuj Ganguly during his district visit on November 27, citing difficulties during manual checks. With nearly eight thousand more candidates appearing from Malda this year, the centres sought to adopt a uniform system.
Ganguly said a few schools in other districts have individually used metal detectors, but Malda is the first where all centres moved together. “They asked whether the Board had any bar on the use of metal detectors. I told them we have no objection. If schools feel the method is needed and it does not create any difficulty for us, they may go ahead. It is good to see that schools are self-motivated and conscious about maintaining examination integrity,” he said.
The Madhyamik examination is scheduled from February 2 to 12. Ganguly has been touring districts since November 11 to review preparedness, with visits continuing till December 17. He said the Board’s focus this year will be strict time management, preventing proxy duties and ensuring that only the teacher named in the duty order reports for invigilation.
The Board had identified several lapses last year. Teachers from non-participating schools were not always properly verified, and invigilators who were not officially assigned had reported in place of the designated teacher, creating complications in record keeping. Subject teachers had also appeared on the day of their own subject exam, against norms. The Board has directed that subject teachers must not be assigned invigilation duties on the day of their subject exam, including those brought from non-participating schools. Any change in duty will require prior approval from the district inspector of schools, and identity and signature verification will be mandatory at each centre.