Bengaluru, March 18 (NationPress) Karnataka's Minister for School Education and Literacy, Madhu Bangarappa, made a heartfelt plea on Wednesday to both students and parents, urging them to disregard the circulating rumors about question paper leaks on social media as the SSLC (Secondary School Leaving Certificate) Class 10 board examinations began. The Minister reassured, "Question papers are securely delivered to examination centers under police protection every day. Parents should not be swayed by the misleading reports on social media but instead motivate their children to concentrate on their exam preparations."

He further urged, "Students and parents must not fall prey to the false information and temptations that are being shared online. Comprehensive arrangements have been established in collaboration with local districts to ensure the board examinations are conducted smoothly."

The Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board, commonly known as the Karnataka SSLC Board, reported that approximately 8,65,988 students are taking part in these examinations. Among these, 7,75,979 are school students, 62,938 are repeaters, 23,510 are private candidates, and 3,561 are private candidate repeaters.

Among the newly enrolled regular students, there are 3,80,912 boys and 3,95,067 girls. Notably, 5,106 specially-abled students are also participating. In the Bengaluru South Zone-1, for the second consecutive year, visually impaired students are utilizing laptops to complete their exams independently.

The examinations are being conducted at 2,870 centers throughout the state. The board highlighted that 1,77,847 students belong to the Scheduled Caste community, while 70,039 are from the Scheduled Tribe community.

The SSLC Class 10 board examinations commenced on Wednesday and will conclude on April 2. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah offered his best wishes to all 8,65,988 students participating in the SSLC examinations, which began on Wednesday. He encouraged students to approach their exams without anxiety, stating, "The government has provided three opportunities for these examinations (Exam 1, 2, and 3). Even if students do not achieve high marks or fail, they will have the chance to retake the exams. Therefore, students should maintain their confidence and not succumb to anxiety."

Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumarawamy also shared his encouragement on social media platform X, expressing, "As the SSLC examinations commence today, I extend my heartfelt wishes to all the students. Approach the exam with confidence after thorough preparation. Tackle your exams with patience and bravery, keeping in mind that this is merely a step towards your future success. My best wishes to all of you, dear children."