Chennai, March 25 (IANS): As the Class 12 board examinations conclude on Tuesday across Tamil Nadu, the state school education department has directed schools to deploy police personnel on campus to maintain order and ensure students disperse without causing any commotion. In a statement on Monday, the department said that police presence would help manage the crowd and maintain discipline, especially since Class 12 exams end on March 25 and Class 11 exams conclude shortly after, on March 27. This year, a total of 8.21 lakh Class 12 students appeared for the board exams, which began on March 3. Simultaneously, 8.23 lakh Class 11 students have been writing their exams since March 5, and over 9.13 lakh Class 10 students are scheduled to take their board exams from March 28 to April 15. In all, more than 25.57 lakh students from Classes 10, 11, and 12 are appearing for board exams in the state. Among them are 20,746 students with disabilities who are also taking the exams under special provisions. To ensure a smooth and fair examination process, the Department of Government Examinations (DGE) has set up an examination committee in every district, headed by the respective district collector. These committees are tasked with ensuring the availability of basic facilities, such as drinking water and uninterrupted power supply, at all exam centres. Exams for Classes 12 and 11 are being conducted across 3,316 centres, while Class 10 exams will be held at 4,113 centres. More than 45,000 teachers have been deployed for examination-related duties, and over 4,800 flying squads are in place to prevent any malpractice or irregularities. A full-time control room has also been set up at the DGE headquarters, operational from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on all examination days. This facility provides support and answers queries from students, parents, and the public. The use of mobile phones was strictly prohibited for both students and invigilating teachers within exam centres. According to the tentative schedule, the Class 12 results are expected on April 9, while Class 11 and Class 10 results will be declared on April 19. In the 2024 board examinations, 7.72 lakh Class 12 students appeared for the exam, including 4.1 lakh girls, 3.6 lakh boys, and one transgender student — all of whom passed. In Class 11, out of 8,11,172 students, a total of 7,39,539 cleared the exams. Among them, 4,04,143 girls and 3,35,396 boys passed. For the Class 10 SSLC exams, 8,94,264 students appeared, with a pass percentage of 91.55 per cent. Of the total, 4,22,591 out of 4,47,061 girls passed (94.55 per cent), while 3,96,152 of 4,47,203 boys cleared the exam (88.58 per cent). With robust measures and district-level coordination, the Tamil Nadu government aims to ensure a safe, fair, and efficient examination process for all students.