Prayagraj: The evaluation of answer sheets for UP Board High School and Intermediate examinations-2026 began at 250 centres across Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday. The evaluators will assess answer sheets of nearly 50 lakh students.In total, about 3 crore answer sheets are under evaluation, making it one of the most extensive checking processes in the country. The board has set April 1 as the deadline to complete the entire exercise. Joint director of education, RN Vishwakarma, said 21 evaluation centres have been established in the Prayagraj division. Prayagraj district alone accounts for the highest number, with 10 centres, followed by five each in Fatehpur and Pratapgarh and one in Kaushambi. On the first day, about 80% of examiners reported for duty, and officials expressed confidence that full attendance would be ensured in the coming days. Detailed instructions have been issued to examiners to maintain accuracy and uniformity in marking. District inspector of schools (DIOS), Prayagraj, PN Singh, said: “Around 12,24,788 answer sheets are being checked in the district by over 6,000 examiners. Strict monitoring arrangements have been put in place, with CCTV cameras at all centres to ensure transparency. The use of mobile phones by examiners has been completely banned within the premises to prevent any malpractice.” He said armed police personnel have been deployed round-the-clock at all centres, and entry of outsiders is strictly prohibited. Only authorised teachers and staff engaged in the evaluation process are allowed inside. Additionally, static magistrates have been appointed at each centre by the district administration to oversee the process. Board secretary Bhagwati Singh said: “As part of a pilot initiative, an online marks-uploading system has been introduced alongside the conventional method in five districts—Prayagraj, Meerut, Bareilly, Varanasi and Gorakhpur. This step is aimed at improving efficiency, ensuring faster compilation of results, and enhancing transparency in the overall evaluation system.”
