Board exams go digital: Maha to pilot encrypted paper delivery, on-screen evaluation

Under the proposed system, question papers will be transmitted directly to examination centres in encrypted digital format instead of being physically transported through the conventional distribution network.

Pune: In a major step towards improving the security and transparency of board examinations following several paper leak incidents in recent years, the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education plans to introduce digital transmission of question papers and on-screen evaluation of answer sheets on a pilot basis during the supplementary examinations scheduled for June and July.

The-newly-unveiled-Z41-laptop-from-Lenovo-Photo-AFP

Under the proposed system, question papers will be transmitted directly to examination centres in encrypted digital format instead of being physically transported through the conventional distribution network. Examination centres will download and print the papers using password-protected technology before the exam begins.

The board also plans to introduce on-screen evaluation of answer sheets after the examinations. Answer booklets will be scanned and assessed digitally, using Artificial Intelligence-assisted tools to improve confidentiality, minimise human errors and speed up result processing.

The pilot project comes months after the board experimented with digital transportation of question papers through specially designed digital trunks in Baramati during the February-March board examinations. The upcoming supplementary exams will mark the next phase of this technological transition.

To ensure smooth implementation, examination centres will be equipped with stable internet connectivity, uninterrupted power supply and backup generators.

Board chairman Trigun Kulkarni said, “The pilot project will help assess the feasibility of implementing the system on a larger scale in future board examinations.”