BSE Odisha implements Barcodes and watermarks for the Class 10 Exams 2025

As per the BSE Odisha President Srikant Tarai's interview, the board is planning to introduce barcodes and watermarks in the question papers and answer sheets Class 10 matric examination 2025 to prevent paper leaks. Check all the deatils here

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The Board of Secondary Education BSE Odisha has launched a new initiative to combat the growing problem of paper leaks through the introduction of barcodes and watermarks into the Class 10 Odisha Board Exam 2025. This move comes following a series of exam paper leaks in 2024, which generated severe worries regarding the examination process’s legitimacy.

This year, the Odisha Class 10 exams 2025 will take place from February 21 to March 6, 2025. For the BSE Odisha 2025 Class 10 matriculation exams, board officials will use advanced security elements such as watermarks, barcodes, and encrypted security numbers on all question papers and answer sheets. Each paper will have a unique identification, making it easy to identify and detect any illegal treatment.

BSE President said about new security initiatives

In a recent interview with TOI, BSE Odisha President Srikant Tarai coined the introduction of the barcodes and watermarks in the Odisha Matric Exam-2025 question papers and answer sheets to avoid leaks and track irregularities.

He stated that the question paper numbering scheme would be introduced in the Matric Exam this year. “The question paper will be numbered, with a security code, barcode, and watermark. He stated that if the question paper goes viral, it can be traced back to its source.

“This year, the Board intends to include a unique barcode and watermark in each question paper for the BSE Odisha matriculation examination. The approach is now being utilized as an experimental basis in the question papers of the Odisha Secondary School Teachers Eligibility Test (OSSTET), which is scheduled for January 17. If successful, plans will be made to incorporate it into the yearly Matric exams this year,” Tarai stated.

Series of Paper Leaks Incidents in Odisha

The initiative to improve security follows a string of paper leak events in Odisha in 2024. Some of the major leaks include the following:

The English question paper for the Odisha High School Certificate (HSC) exam, allegedly leaked on February 24, 2024.
In addition, there were claims of question paper manipulation for the Odisha Staff Selection Commission Statistical Assistance Recruitment exam on October 6, 2024.
Another notable occurrence involves the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak case, in which one person was apprehended in Bhubaneswar on August 6, 2024.

Experimental Testing of Security Features Completed

To ensure the initiative’s success, BSE Odisha began testing security measures with the Odisha Secondary School Teachers Eligibility Test (OSSTET), which is planned for January 17, 2025. Srikant Tarai, President of the BSE, claimed that if the trial security measures were successful in the OSSTET exam, they would be implemented for the Odisha Matric Examination. The board’s primary goal is to increase security and restore trust in the exam process, guaranteeing that no unfair activities, such as paper leaks, occur during the BSE Odisha Class 10 exams 2025.

BSE Odisha Class 10 Exam 2025

The Odisha Class 10th examination timetable for 2024-25 was announced by the Board earlier. The Board of Secondary Education (BSE) will conduct its annual HSC Examination from February 21 to March 6, 2025. Exams will be held in one session with a single question paper for both regular and ex-regular papers. The exams will be held every day from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.