From correspondents in Uttar Pradesh, India, 10:03 PM IST

In its attempt to curb copying during examinations, the Uttar Pradesh government will debar over 300 schools from conducting the state board's high school and intermediate examinations, an official said Thursday.

'As there were repeated complaints of mass copying, tampering and leak of question papers, the 300-odd schools would not be made examination centres for the next board exams,' Uttar Pradesh board secretary Prabha Tripathi told IANS.

The blacklisted schools are in various districts including Allahabad, Aligarh, Etah, Hardoi, Ghazipur, Ballia, Mathura, Shahjahanpur and Kaushambhi, she added.

More than four million students across Uttar Pradesh had appeared for the high school and intermediate 2008 examinations.

The Uttar Pradesh board examinations are conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)