PRACTICAL EXAMS for Higher Secondary Certificate began in Maharashtra on Thursday, with the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education stating that strict anti-cheating measures have been implemented and warning that any examination center where cheating is detected will lose its recognition as an examination center from the next academic year.
The warning comes shortly after the board’s decision to derecognize 107 examination centers after cases of cheating were detected during last year’s board exams.
Maharashtra State Board Chairman Trigun Kulkarni said, “The no-copy exam drive will continue even this year with the same rigor. All exam centers have been cleared in roughly the same manner. More than 80 per cent of the exam centers are equipped with CCTV surveillance to ensure strict vigil against miscreants. This CCTV coverage is likely to increase in more exam centres.”
To strengthen monitoring, the state board has also constituted a state-level vigilance committee this year to improve coordination with district-level vigilance committees, which are responsible for enforcing anti-copying measures before and during exams. The flying teams will also make surprise visits to the examination centers to ensure compliance.
According to the board, practical and oral assessments along with other internal assessments for HSC students will be held from January 23 to February 9. The practical and oral exams for the Secondary School Certificate will take place between February 2 and 18.
HSC written exams are scheduled from February 10 to March 18, while SSC written exams will be held from February 20 to March 18.
However, teachers have expressed concern over the state board’s failure to announce helpline numbers to help students manage exam-related stress, especially as exams begin earlier than usual this year.
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“These are numbers of qualified counselors who can help students manage academic or other stress related to exams. Usually, the list of these numbers is declared in February as the written exams start at the end of February. However, this time, the exams start a few days earlier,” said a senior teacher from a Bombay school, encouraging the board to activate the helpline as soon as possible.