Lucknow, Jan 10 (IANS): Over 58 lakh candidates have registered for the UP Board 2023 examinations which will begin from February 16.

Of these 31.2 lakh students are for Class 10 and 27.5 lakh students are for Class 12.

The examinations will be held at 8,752 centres across 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh.

According to the timetable for 2023 examinations released by secretary, UP Secondary Education Board, Divyakant Shukla, the Class 10 examinations will be held in 13 working days and will end on March 3.

The Class 12 examinations will be held in 14 working days and will end on March 4.

For the first time, UP Board examinees will get stitched answer sheets. The move is aimed at preventing the copy mafia from changing answer sheets of meritorious students because in the previous years there were complaints of changing copies by removing staples.

Also, answer sheets given to the students will have barcodes and monograms on them.

The initiatives are being taken with an aim to eliminate the scope of manipulation of answer sheets. The Board will also conduct random checks of some answer sheets using the barcodes which will further put a noose around those involved in copying.

Over three crore answer sheets will be required for the UP Board examinations. Model exam questions for Class 10 and Class 12.