With just a month remaining for Maharashtra State Board exams – Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and Secondary School Certificate (SSC) – to begin, stress levels are rising among students. The exams will start 10-15 days early this year to ensure timely results and a smooth start to the next academic year.
Sharad Gosavi, chairperson of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, speaks to The Indian Express about the board’s plans to curb malpractices, implement strict regulations on late entries to prevent paper leaks, and the early start of exams.
IE: This year, both HSC and SSC exams will begin earlier than usual. What prompted this decision?
Sharad Gosavi: We are starting both exams 10-15 days earlier than usual, and there are several reasons behind this change. First, many HSC students will be appearing for competitive entrance exams such as the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). By holding board exams earlier, these students will get more time to focus on entrance preparations post the board exams, levelling the playing field with students from non-state board curricula who benefit from an earlier finish.
Moreover, an earlier start also means earlier results. This ensures timely admissions for students entering Class 11 after the SSC exams, as well as those preparing for higher education after the HSC. The early results will also allow us to begin supplementary exams sooner, enabling failed candidates to get back on track without losing a significant portion of the new academic year.”
IE: The past two years saw the introduction of several new rules due to the impact of the Covid pandemic. Is there any change in rules this year?
Sharad Gosavi: There are no new rules this year as normalcy is now settled in academics, after the pandemic. We are, however, strictly enforcing regulations, particularly with regard to preventing paper leaks and malpractices during the exams. Additionally, we have allowed schools to schedule practical exams on more suitable days for candidates having potential overlap of their practical assessments with entrance exam schedules. Schools are given a window of several days to complete their practical assessments and they can make certain changes taking into account such students.
IE: What are the key rules that candidates should keep in mind this year?
Sharad Gosavi: Timeliness is paramount. As introduced last year, all candidates must be seated in the exam hall at least 30 minutes before the scheduled exam start time. For example, if the exam is scheduled for 11 am, students must be in their seats by 10.30 am. Exam centres are given strict warning to not allow late entries. This will stop images of the question paper from circulating on social media. To add to it, we have also stopped distributing question papers 10 minutes before exams, which were used for students to read and review the question paper. Instead, exams will begin promptly at the scheduled time, with an additional 10 minutes added toward the end of the exam. So if any student wants to read at the beginning, they have enough time left to complete the exam.
IE: What measures are in place to prevent malpractices, including cheating?
Sharad Gosavi: The Maharashtra board is taking several steps to curb malpractices such as cheating. A key initiative this year is the mandatory awareness programmes held in schools where students are educated about the consequences of indulging in malpractice during exams. We conducted a series of meetings with principals across Maharashtra in December 2024 to ensure that such awareness sessions are carried out effectively. Apart from this, other measures include CCTV surveillance and surprise visits to exam centres by flying squads.
IE: How many students have registered for the board exams and how is the board facilitating them?
Sharad Gosavi: Over 15 lakh students have registered for the HSC exams, while more than 16 lakh students have registered for the SSC exams. Registration is still ongoing with a late fee. We have already started issuing hall tickets for HSC students, and SSC students will receive theirs in about a week.
We are continuing with our counselling services to provide mental health support to students to cope with stress around exams by declaring contact numbers of trained counsellors along with dedicated helplines to resolve technical queries related to exam regulations. Apart from ensuring stress-free and malpractice-free exams, we are also having meetings with teachers’ organisations to ensure timely evaluation of papers so that results can be declared soon.
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