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HSC exams see increase in cheating cases despite MSBSHSE’s copy-free campaign
In a year when the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) has undertaken a ‘copy-free examination’ campaign, the ongoing Class 12 Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations are proving to be anything but
In a year when the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) has undertaken a ‘copy-free examination’ campaign, the ongoing Class 12 Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations are proving to be anything but. Rather, the HSC exams this year have seen an increase in the number of cases of cheating and paper leak as compared to last year.
According to statistics shared by the MSBSHSE, the ongoing HSC exams (2023) have seen a total 247 cases of cheating and paper leak until now, up from the total 242 cases of cheating and five dummy students caught writing the paper during the 2022 HSC exams. What’s more, the HSC exams which commenced on February 21 this year are slated to continue till March 20, 2023, for all the arts, commerce, science and vocational streams.
Ever since the commencement of HSC exams this year, there have been several incidents across the state where question papers have been leaked or students have been helped by the teachers themselves with FIRs being lodged in some cases. According to statistics shared by the state board, as many as 59 cheating cases were registered during the chemistry and political science exams on March 1; followed by 50 such cases during the physics exam on February 27; and 43 during the mathematics exam on March 3. Cheating cases were registered even for the first three language papers with the maximum such cases being registered during the second language exam on February 23.
Professor Kedar Mane, an education expert from Ahmednagar district, said, “It is shameful that a large number of cheating cases have been registered. Indeed, many cases have not been registered and students have been let off with a warning after being caught. Still, the state board should take strict action against these students. The worst part is that in some cases, the teachers themselves were involved.”
Elsewhere in the state, the mathematics question paper went viral on social media around 30 minutes before the scheduled time of the exam from one of the exam centres in Sindkhed Raja city of Buldhana district. Before that, there were reports of teachers from the Mahalingeshwar Secondary and Higher Secondary Schools in Parbhani district having leaked the English paper and provided copies to students. This – despite the state board collaborating with the district authorities to run a copy-free campaign to make both the HSC and SSC exams copy-free this year; strict rules being formulated for the purpose; flying squads being deployed to exam centres; vigilance being stepped-up at exam centres through CCTV cameras; question papers being distributed to students only after commencement of exams et al.
Meanwhile, Sharad Gosavi, chairman, state board, said, “We are continuously monitoring our every division for the ongoing board exams, and action will be taken against students who are found cheating. There is a process wherein if a student is caught cheating and is found guilty upon inquiry, action is taken as per the rules.”
