SSLC students whose answer sheets were damaged in a fire at a valuation centre in Vellore on Thursday night need not write examinations again, School Education Minister Thangam Thennarasu told the Assembly on Friday.

English Paper II

Making a suo moto statement, the Minister said answer sheets of English Paper II were destroyed in the fire The papers were from schools in Villupuram Education district.

The Minister said totally 52,020 answer papers of various subjects had been kept under police custody in a sealed room at the Voorhees Higher Secondary School, Vellore. At 9.30 pm on Thursday, a policeman and school watchman noticed smoke from the room and informed the fire service personnel.

Fortunately a majority of answer sheets, which were kept in the room, were not affected. Only English II answer sheets were damaged.

Police and the Education Department officials were enquiring into the incident. Affected students would be provided sufficient remedy as per the set procedure followed by the government in such occasions, the Minister said.