The Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE), Odisha, has set November 30 as the deadline for affiliated institutions to make CCTV systems functional and connected at Plus II examination centres ahead of the Annual Higher Secondary Examination (AHSE) 2027. Schools that fail to comply could lose their examination centre status for theory and practical examinations.
In a directive issued to principals and heads of affiliated higher secondary schools and colleges, CHSE said surveillance systems must be capable of live monitoring. The council may also report institutions that do not meet the requirements to the state government for appropriate action.
The CCTV requirement covers examination halls, examination management hub (EMH) strong rooms, centre superintendents’ offices and laboratories of self-financing higher secondary schools. Live streaming from these locations must be enabled during the examination period so that CHSE officials, the School and Mass Education Department and district collectorates can monitor activities round the clock.
CHSE Controller of Examinations Prasanta Kumar Parida said institutions had been asked to install cameras in locations where they are not yet available and to ensure that existing systems are fully operational. The systems must be tested and kept ready from the day question papers arrive at the strong rooms and from the first day of the examinations.
The directive also applies to schools that have applied to become new examination centres. These institutions must install CCTV cameras in their examination halls and in the room used by the centre superintendent before being considered for centre status.
Institutions that served as examination centres or EMHs during the 2026 examinations have also been asked to maintain the required equipment and connectivity. The same requirement applies to institutions eligible for designation as new centres for AHSE 2027.
The compliance process places responsibility on individual schools and colleges for both the availability and operational readiness of surveillance equipment. Beyond installing cameras, institutions must ensure that live connectivity works when question papers are stored and throughout the examination process.
CHSE’s warning links CCTV compliance directly to the allocation of examination-centre responsibilities. If a school loses centre status, students may have to be assigned to other institutions for their theory and practical examinations, although the council’s directive does not specify how such reassignment would be managed.
The council has not announced any separate extension or alternative compliance mechanism. Institutions covered by the directive must complete the required installation, testing and connectivity arrangements by November 30.
