Bhubaneswar, 20 February (H.S.): Nearly 12,000 students were absent on the first day of the annual Matric examination in Odisha, School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond said on Friday.

The Minister stated that the department has initiated a review to ascertain the reasons behind the large number of absentees and is assessing why many candidates did not appear for the examination.

He said the School and Mass Education Department had made comprehensive arrangements to ensure the smooth conduct of the examination and clarified that there was no lapse on the part of the department, with most absences attributed to personal reasons.

Gond further noted that the state government has implemented several measures to curb school dropouts, including child-tracking surveys, enrolment drives and the “Aaa School Jiba” campaign aimed at encouraging regular attendance.

He added that the government will continue to monitor the situation and undertake additional awareness initiatives so that more students participate in the examinations in the coming days.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda