E-Paper
81 staff suspended in SSC, HSC exam malpractice cases across Maharashtra
Officials said the action followed multiple cases of mass copying, use of mobile phones and other irregularities detected during inspections and flying squad visits at examination centres
The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education has suspended 81 examination staff members across the state for alleged negligence and involvement in malpractice during the ongoing February–March 2026 SSC (Class 10) and HSC (Class 12) board examinations.
Officials said the action followed multiple cases of mass copying, use of mobile phones and other irregularities detected during inspections and flying squad visits at examination centres.
The suspended staff include centre directors, supervisors, invigilators and other examination personnel who were found responsible for failing to prevent malpractice.
Cases were reported from districts including Beed, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Gadchiroli, Washim, Nanded and Dharashiv.
Commenting on the development, Nandkumar Bedse, acting chairman of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, said, “So far, 81 staff members have been suspended across several districts after irregularities were confirmed during inspections at examination centres. The board maintains a strict policy against malpractice during the SSC and HSC examinations. If any additional staff members are found guilty during the ongoing inquiries, further disciplinary action will be taken.”
In one of the major cases, 17 staff members were suspended from a science and arts junior college in Beed district after students were allegedly found engaging in mass copying during the HSC English examination on February 10.
Another 21 staff members were suspended at a centre in Kannad tehsil of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, where mass copying was detected during the Class 12 English paper on the same day.
In Mantha taluka of Jalna district, copying incidents during the SSC examinations led to the suspension of five officials associated with multiple centres.
A large-scale case was also reported at Mainagiri Maharaj School and Junior College in Toe-Jumda, Washim district, during the Class 12 physics examination, where a flying squad found 581 students involved in copying and recovered mobile phones from the centre. Following the inquiry, 28 staff members were suspended.
Additional action was taken at other centres. One staff member was suspended at a centre in Kurla village in Beed district, while four staff members in Gadchiroli were suspended after students were found copying from slips and using ChatGPT during a political science examination.
In Betmogara in Nanded district, two staff members were suspended at a Zilla Parishad school centre. In Dharashiv district, copying using mobile phones during a chemistry exam led to the suspension of three teachers, while action against additional officials has been proposed.
Board officials said the action is part of the state’s zero-tolerance policy on examination malpractice, with flying squads, CCTV monitoring and surprise inspections continuing during the ongoing exams.
Further inquiries are underway, and more disciplinary action may follow, officials said.
