Punjab deploys 384 flying squads, launches MATQ app for 8.18 lakh board students across 6,792 centers
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, February 18, 2026: As over 8.18 lakh students commenced their Class 8, 10 and 12 Board examinations across Punjab, the Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government has rolled out an extensive security and monitoring mechanism to ensure free, fair and malpractice-free examinations.
To guarantee transparency and discipline, the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) has deployed 384 flying squads, including 111 special teams tasked with conducting surprise inspections across the state. Additionally, Section 144 has been strictly imposed within a 100-metre radius of all examination centres to prevent unauthorised gatherings and ensure a disturbance-free environment.
In a major technological initiative, the state government has introduced the first-of-its-kind MATQ (Monitoring and Tracking of Question Papers) App, enabling real-time tracking of question papers to eliminate leakage risks and strengthen accountability.
The examinations are being conducted across 6,792 centres statewide — including 2,307 centres for Class 8, 2,367 for Class 10 and 2,118 for Class 12. To ensure smooth operations, 2,469 Superintendents and 3,193 Deputy Superintendents have been deployed, reflecting the scale of administrative preparedness.
Extending his best wishes to students, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains described examinations as “a celebration of knowledge.”
“Examinations are a celebration of knowledge. I urge all students to appear fearlessly, with full confidence and honesty. Your hard work today will illuminate your tomorrow and steer Punjab towards progress,” he said.
Highlighting the government’s commitment to transparency, Bains stated that the MATQ App marks a new era of technological integration in education governance. “This first-of-its-kind initiative ensures foolproof security and zero tolerance for question paper leakage,” he added.
Reaffirming the state government’s vision, the Education Minister said the transparent education framework envisioned by the Bhagwant Mann Government is steadily taking shape, with board examinations being conducted smoothly and securely across Punjab.