Students appearing for the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC) examination in 2018 will not be allowed to enter the examination hall after the paper begins or exit the hall before time ends. The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) issued the guidelines on Wednesday.
The board's move is aimed to curb malpractices and cheating cases in the board exams. "The board earlier allowed students who enter the exam hall half an hour after the exams in case students fail to reach due to any unavoidable circumstances. However, some students were found misusing this benefit and were involved in malpractices. The board has thus decided to not allow any latecomers into the exam hall. Students would have to wait till the end and cannot leave in the middle of the exam," said Siddheshwar Chadekar, Chairperson, Mumbai Divisional Board.
In March 2017, at least five papers of various subjects for HSC had leaked on WhatsApp minutes before the exam. Following the leaks, the board had then asked centres to note the names and seat numbers of students who turn up late so that these papers can be checked with more caution.
Rajesh Pandya, Vice President of the Teachers Democratic Front, said that not allowing students to enter late is injustice. "The board should not give the question paper 10-15 minutes before time begins to curb malpractices. In a city like Mumbai, there can be many circumstances wherein students cannot make it in time," he added.
REVISED TIME-TABLE
On Thursday, the board announced a revised time table after considering the suggestions and objections raised after it uploaded a timetable in September. While HSC exams would be conducted between February 21 and March 20, SSC exams would be between March 1 and March 24.
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