Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru/Udupi

Mangaluru/Udupi, Mar 1: The II PUC annual examinations commenced on Saturday across the twin districts, with a total of 203 students remaining absent on the first day.

In Dakshina Kannada, 165 students were absent. For the Kannada language paper, out of 21,661 registered students, 21,498 appeared while 163 remained away. For the Arabic language exam, 313 out of 315 registered candidates attended, with 2 students marked absent.

Department of Pre-University Education deputy director Rajeshwari stated that the examinations were conducted smoothly across 59 centres in the district without any confusion or technical glitches.

In Udupi district, the examinations began at 29 designated centres. Out of 9,900 registered candidates, 9,862 students appeared for the exam, while 38 remained absent. The district recorded an impressive attendance of 99.62%.

As a precautionary measure, prohibitory orders were in force around all examination centres to ensure a peaceful environment. No untoward incidents were reported from any part of the district on the first day.