MUMBAI: With nearly seven lakh students set to appear for the SSC and HSC examinations across Maharashtra, the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) has issued a series of instructions aimed at preventing copying and other malpractice.The HSC examinations will start on Feb 10, followed by SSC on Feb 20. According to instructions issued by the board, this year’s arrangements rely on a combination of technological surveillance, administrative oversight and police deployment.
CCTV cameras inside examination halls, drone surveillance outside sensitive centres, flying squads and surprise inspections will be used, while police escorts will accompany the transport of question papers. Photocopy shops located near examination centres have been directed to remain shut during examination hours, and strict action will be taken against anyone facilitating malpractice.In a letter sent to all divisional boards, the MSBSHSE has directed that officers and staff posted at examination centres where CCTV cameras are not available must be temporarily transferred to other centres for the duration of the examinations. The board said the move is intended to ensure uniform monitoring standards and reduce vulnerabilities.The board has also tightened accountability norms for supervisors. As per the letter, if more than five students are caught copying at any examination centre, the supervisor in charge will be held liable for dereliction of duty and negligence of work.Clear procedures have also been laid down for handling cases of cheating. “If a student is caught copying, the answer sheet is immediately taken and a fresh one is provided. The student has to continue writing the examination on the new answer sheet then and there. Statements of the student and the invigilator are recorded and the case is escalated to the board, where a designated inquiry officer conducts an investigation, though last year only seven such cases were registered in our zone,” said Rajendra Ahire, chairman of the Mumbai division of MSBSHSE.
