BSEB to hold matriculation exams in two shifts
In view of the increase in number of examinees in Bihar in 2014, the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) will conduct matriculation examination of every subject in two shifts, state education minister said on Thursday.

It has been decided to hold matriculation examination in all subjects in two shifts of the day keeping in view the anticipated number of examinees at about 14 lakh this year, Education Minister P K Shahi told reporters.

The expected figure of board examinees has been calculated on the basis of 12.20 lakh aspirations already registering themselves for matriculation examination, while a large number of those who failed in the examination last year will write their papers again, BSEB Chairman Rajmani Prasad Sinha said.

The decision to conduct the board examination in two shifts of the day in every subject will also help contain cheating and other malpractices, he said.

Reiterating the state government''s commitment to improve quality of education in Bihar, the Education Minister said that the spending on education has already been hiked to about 25 per cent of the state budget even as effective steps have been taken to tone up primary, secondary and higher secondary education.

The education department has successfully achieved its target on literacy mission even as avenues were being created to provide commercial and vocational education to the students to brighten their career prospects, Shahi said.

 The implementation of Mid-Day Meal (MDM) scheme in Bihar too has been improved to provide quality meal to the students, he said, adding that lessons have been learned from death of 23 primary school students in Saran district last year.