An estimated 8.52 lakh candidates, up from 7.45 lakh last year, will write their papers in the Higher Secondary Examination this year beginning from March 14.

The number of girls will be higher by 1.27 lakh, 57.43 per cent of the total candidates, the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education that conducts the election said on Friday.

Last year, 54.79 per cent of the total examinees were girls, Council President Chiranjib Bhattacharya told a press meet here. The exams will be held in 2349 venues from March 14 to 27.

Bhattacharya said 206 venues have been declared as sensitive ones where there will be a three-layer screening system to prevent mobile phones or any electronic gadget from being sneaked inside the exam hall to avert any malpractices. There will be CCTV surveillance and metal detectors in every venue.

In a first, the Council has decided to use Radio Frequency Detector (RFD) to track the presence of any mobile or other electronic gadgets in some of the 206 sensitive venues as and when required, Bhattacharya said.

To a question, he said the majority of the sensitive venues are located in Malda district. Candidates or anyone else involved in the exam process in the venues will not be allowed to leave their seats before the passage of one hour of the exams from 10 am.

The measures came in the wake of reports of purported images of question papers having surfaced on social media sometimes after the class 10 state board exam started this year and in past years. The Council, however, did not refer to that issue.

To a question, the Council president said authorities will ask for services of group D employees of 7000 Higher Secondary schools, many of which are not listed as examination venues in the wake of retrenchment of services following court orders.