Kumarghat (Tripura), Mar 13: A sudden power outage forced Higher Secondary students to write their board examinations in candlelight in several schools of Kumarghat subdivision in Tripura on Friday.
The examinations are being conducted by the Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE). On Friday, students appeared for Biology, Accountancy and History papers.
However, nature disrupted the day’s examination. About 30 minutes after the test began, dark clouds covered the sky. Soon, light rain and gusty winds hit the area. As a result, many examination halls turned dark.
At the same time, electricity supply snapped in several areas including schools. Consequently, teachers arranged candles inside the examination halls so students could continue writing their papers.
A similar situation occurred at Fatikroy Higher Secondary School in Kumarghat subdivision.
Assistant Headmaster Krishna Ranjan Pal said the Fatikroy centre had two venues for the Higher Secondary examination. In total, 564 candidates registered for the test. Among them, 558 students appeared on Friday.
Initially, the exam started smoothly. Soon after, bad weather darkened the area. At the same time, power supply stopped.
The school authorities then rushed to buy nearly 60 packets of candles. Later, they placed candles on each bench to provide light for the students.
According to Pal, electricity went out about 45 minutes after the exam started. As a result, students wrote their papers without electricity for almost two hours. Writing under candlelight created some difficulty. Still, the school authorities tried to manage the situation.
Students also shared their experience. They said the power went out during the exam, which made writing difficult. Later, the school arranged candles.
One examinee, Sayan Malakar, said the hall suddenly turned dark after the weather changed. At first, students faced problems. Later, the school authorities provided candles. He added that it was the first time they had taken an exam under candlelight. Despite the inconvenience, they managed to complete the test.
The situation was not limited to one school. In fact, many schools across the Kumarghat subdivision reportedly faced similar scenes.