The Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB), which had banned students from wearing wrist watches while appearing for the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examinations, has now relaxed its rules a little by allowing analogue or mechanical watches, but not digital ones.

Earlier, all types of watches were banned to avoid any kind of cheating, with only a wall clock allowed at exam halls. According to board officials, this decision has been taken following requests from several students and parents, who said that students get tensed looking at wall clocks each time.

During several competitive exams, such as NEET, NET and JEE, wearing watches inside the exam hall has been banned.

Now, the question is how exam supervisors will keep a check on students wearing analogue watches from those wearing digital ones. According to a senior KSEEB official, candidates entering the hall need to check on what kind of watch they are wearing.

V Sumangala, Director, KSEEB, said, "The in-charge at each centre should check what kind of watch candidates are wearing at the entrance itself. If students are wearing digital watches, they have to remove them and only then enter. To avoid any last-minute chaos, we have issued a circular."