While most state board schools have already declared their final examination dates to their students, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) education department this week threw their plans off gear by issuing circulars to all the state board schools, requesting them to wrap up the exams for Std I-VIII by March 24, so that school premises and teachers are free for election duty.

The diktat has caused quite a stir in school circles, most of whom have decided not to pay much heed to it.