Kolkata, Feb 1 : As secondary (Madhyamik) examinations begin in West Bengal from February 2, Monday, the Kolkata Police have launched a helpline to assist the students.

If students face any difficulties while reaching their examination centres, they can call the helpline and police officers will come to their aid, it was learnt on Sunday.

If students encounter any problems, they can call 9432610039, and the cops will assist them, Kolkata Police said.

Assistance will be provided if an examinee forgets their admit card at home or is late in reaching the examination centre.

Besides the helpline, ambulances will be stationed on important roads of the city. The goal is to quickly transport any student who falls ill to the hospital.

In addition to the Kolkata Police helpline, the state government has decided to operate extra buses in Kolkata and the surrounding districts during the Madhyamik examinations.

At least 20 extra buses will run on 15 different routes for the eight days of the Madhyamik exams.

As a result, students and their parents will not have to worry about reaching the examination centres on time. If the students leave home on time, they will reach their destination smoothly, according to the police.

This year's Madhyamik (secondary) examinations will begin on February 2 and conclude on the 12. The examination dates are February 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 12.

The exams will start at 10.45 a.m. and end at 2.00 p.m. During these hours on weekdays, the roads are usually quite congested.

Reaching the examination centres on time while avoiding this traffic can be quite stressful. To support the students, the Kolkata Police have launched a helpline in this regard.

A total of 9,71,340 candidates will appear for the Madhyamik examination this year, compared with 9,69,425 last year.

Of the total candidates, 4,26,733 are boys, 5,44,606 are girls, and one is a transgender person. This year, there are a total of 2,682 examination centres across the state. Out of these, 945 are main examination centres, and 1,737 are sub-centres.

/IANS