E-Paper
HSC exams: 271 flying squads deployed
This year, 10 counsellors have been appointed at the state level to help students cope with stress during the examination period.
PUNE: The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations conducted by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) will begin on Tuesday, February 10, and continue till Wednesday, March 18, 2026. A total 1,532,487 students have registered for the examinations in Maharashtra; 820,229 of which are boys; 712,240 girls; and 18 transgenders. From the Nagpur and Pune divisions, two visually-disabled students will appear for the examination in online mode. The exam will be conducted at 3,367 centres across the state. The examination will be conducted through nine divisional boards namely Pune, Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Mumbai, Kolhapur, Amravati, Nashik, Latur and Konkan.
To prevent malpractices during the examination, strict measures have been implemented including the deployment of as many as 271 flying squads. This information was provided by MSBSHSE chairman Nandkumar Bedse during a press conference on Monday. This year, 10 counsellors have been appointed at the state level to help students cope with stress during the examination period. The contact numbers of these counsellors are already available on the official website. In addition, two counsellors have been appointed in each district. Students are required to reach the examination centre at least 30 minutes before the scheduled time. Hall tickets have already been issued.
Bedse said, “To curb copying and prevent paper leakage, the first 10 minutes before the examination time have been cut, and an additional 10 minutes are being provided after every examination. The examination will begin sharp at 11 am. A state-level vigilance committee has also been constituted. Under the copy-free campaign, students across Maharashtra have taken a pledge to maintain the integrity of the examination process.”
The education department has made CCTV surveillance mandatory at all examination centres. “Earlier, around 80% of examination centres had CCTV coverage. Now, the coverage has increased to 94%. At present, 3,387 examination centres are equipped with CCTV cameras, which is a significant and appreciable improvement,” Bedse said.
However, at 172 examination centres that lack CCTV facilities, all staff from centre heads to peons have been reshuffled. Of the 172 such centres, Amravati has the highest number at 55; followed by Nashik at 23; Pune at 21; Latur at 21; Konkan at 20; Mumbai at 11; Nagpur at 9; and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar at 4. The MSBSHSE has also identified 248 examination centres as sensitive, Bedse informed. In Sangli and Dhule districts, district vigilance committees have taken responsibility for monitoring the examinations through Google Meet or Zoom and given assurance that no paper leakage will take place due to which, permission has been granted. An amount of ₹1.5 lakh has been provided to each district vigilance committee for the copy-free campaign. These funds can be used for measures such as deploying drones, improving Wifi facilities and ensuring better internet connectivity, Bedse said.
CCTV monitoring teams and sitting squads will be deployed at every examination centre to keep strict vigilance. If cases of cheating are found, strict action will be taken against the respective squads, Bedse warned. A control room and helpline services have also been activated. Under the copy-free campaign, extensive use of social media is being made to spread awareness among students. Instructions have been sent to more than 33,000 principals and headmasters via email, SMS and WhatsApp bulk messages. Video messages from eminent personalities are also being circulated.
The HSC examinations are being conducted earlier this year so that students get additional time to prepare for competitive examinations such as JEE and NEET, as well as for admissions to class 11, Bedse said.
As per the rules, results will be declared within 45 days.
