Patna, Feb 21 (IANS): A woman in Bihar gave birth in the examination hall where she was appearing for her class 12 exams, an official said Friday.

The incident took place at a college in the state's Saran district where Manisha Devi, in her early 20s and married, was taking an exam Thursday when she started feeling uncomfortable followed by labour pain, said S.K. Singh, a college official.

"Before the ambulance could arrive in the college, she had given birth to a healthy child," Singh said.

Later, she was admitted to a hospital.

The delivery was normal and both mother and child are safe, healthy and recovering fast, doctors attending to the woman said.

The class 12 examinations began last week at 882 centres amid tight security with non-teaching college employees in the state on an indefinite strike.

This year 981,778 students, including a record 410,662 girls, across Bihar appeared for the exams, board officials said.