| Uttar Pradesh Secondary Education Board (UPSEB) has decided to conduct the High School and Intermediate examinations of 2019 in 16 working days starting from February 7.

In 2018 also, the High School and Intermediate examinations were completed in 16 days after they commenced from February 6.

Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma, who holds the Education portfolio, said in Lucknow on Monday that it had been decided to conduct the exams from February 7 and complete them in 16 working days.

However, the government is yet to officially announce the dates along with the timetable of the exams.

But in the 2019, the number of students taking UP Board examinations has come down by nine lakh. In 2017, around 66 lakh students had registered for the UP Board examination but this year, only 57 lakh students have registered themselves. 

The last date for registration was August 20.

UPSEB officials claimed that the drastic fall in numbers of candidates was due to the crackdown on ‘cheating mafia’ and making Aadhaar mandatory for registration. 

This year, 31.5 lakh students have registered for Class X or High School examination and 24.9 lakh for Class XII or Intermediate examination. In 2017, the figures were 36.5 lakh and 29 lakh for Classes X and XII respectively.

“Besides, online registration also checked fake candidates. The number of students from other states who write exams with the help of cheating mafia has also come down this year,” an official of the UPSEB claimed. 

In 2018, the High School and Intermediate exams had commenced from February 6 but while the High School examinations had ended on February 22, the Intermediate examination concluded on March 10.