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Satara SSC paper row: Action against teacher, 125 answer sheets to be rechecked
The board has seized the teacher’s entire evaluation honorarium and ordered re-evaluation of 125 answer sheets he had checked
The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) has taken action against a teacher after an inquiry found that Class 6 students were allowed to handle Class 10 answer sheets during evaluation at a school in Satara district. The board has seized the teacher’s entire evaluation honorarium and ordered re-evaluation of 125 answer sheets he had checked.
The probe, conducted by the Kolhapur Divisional Board of MSBSHSE at Uttreshwar High School in Vidani village, Phaltan taluka, followed a complaint alleging irregularities in Marathi subject papers for the ongoing SSC examination.
Divisional chairman Rajesh Kshirsagar said examiner Vaibhav Shende admitted during the inquiry that he had allowed two Class 6 students to handle the answer sheets. The board clarified that “the students were asked only to draw lines on blank pages and did not check or mark answers. However, allowing students to handle confidential board documents is a serious breach of examination rules.”
Under board disciplinary rules, Shende’s entire remuneration for evaluating answer sheets has been confiscated. The school management has also been instructed to initiate disciplinary action under the Maharashtra Employees of Private Schools (Conditions of Service) Rules, 1983.
Kshirsagar added that the 125 Marathi answer sheets evaluated by Shende have been taken into custody for rechecking by regulators to ensure no student is affected. The matter will also be reviewed by the competent committee of the divisional board for further action if necessary.
The controversy first emerged after a complaint alleged that students were evaluating board exam papers, and another teacher had attempted malpractice during a Hindi paper. The Satara Zilla Parishad Secondary Education Officer conducted an initial inquiry, but as the report was incomplete and CCTV footage had not been reviewed, the Kolhapur board formed a two-member inquiry committee. The committee visited the exam centre on March 13, reviewing documents, statements, and CCTV footage.
The inquiry confirmed that two Class 6 girls drew lines on answer sheets during evaluation, violating confidentiality norms, although they did not mark or grade the papers.
Allegations against Hindi teacher Dhanaji Nerkar, accused of facilitating malpractice, were found to be unfounded. CCTV footage showed he was present only for student frisking and entry duties before the exam began and left by 10:52 am.
The incident drew wider attention after a related video surfaced, prompting the divisional board to order a detailed investigation. Board officials emphasised that the evaluation of board exam answer sheets is a confidential process and any involvement of unauthorised persons violates examination rules. They reiterated that rechecking the answer sheets is intended to prevent any academic loss to students.
