70-year-old Odisha MLA appears the annual Matric Exam

70-year-old Odisha MLA appears the annual Matric Exam

70-year-old Odisha MLA appears the annual Matric Exam

Bhubaneswar: Angada Kanhar, a Phulbani legislator, was one of the students who sat the annual matric exams in offline mode, which began on Friday.

The 70-year-old took the exam at Rujangi High School in Pitabari village, Kandhamal district's Phulbani block. According to accounts, he stopped studying in 1978.

The Board of Secondary Education (BSE) exam began at 8 a.m. in a high-security environment. In 3,540 centres, 5,71,909 students will take the High Certificate Examination (HSC), while 9378 and 4443 students will take the State Open School Certificate Examination (SOSC) and Madhyama exams, respectively. Exams will be held until May 6th.

While the exams will last from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., some of them will last less than two hours and will be completed by 9 a.m. or 9.30 a.m. Only the Math paper will be extended till 10.15 a.m.

In light of the current heat wave, all centres have been assured of uninterrupted power and the availability of drinking water. A first-aid treatment centre has also been established.

The Board has organised 38 special squads and 65 flying squads at the district education officer (DEO) level to combat malpractices. All district administrations have been instructed to dispatch squads to oversee tests under their authority.

Last year, the MLA made headlines for staying true to his farming roots while continuing to serve as a legislator.

He entered politics in 1985 and was elected three times as sarpanch of Kerandibali panchayat and once as sarpanch of Pakari panchayat. He went on to become the chairman of the Phiringia block and a member of the Zone 13 Zilla Parishad. In 2019, he was elected as the MLA of Phulbani on the BJD ticket from the reserved (ST) seat.