SSC exams start today under paper leak shadow

With more than 3.8 lakh students in Mumbai appearing for the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams starting today, the Maharashtra state education board, on high alert after five consecutive question paper leaks, will be strict with latecomers.

The board has instructed supervisors to make a note of students walking into exam rooms after 10.45am. Their details will be noted and they will be asked about the delay. For the SSC and HSC exams, students are expected to gather in exam rooms by 10. 30am and question papers are handed out at 10.50 am, so they get time to read the paper. Although the exam begins at 11am, students are allowed to enter the hall till 11. 30am.

On Monday, the board asked centres to keep track of such students. According to Siddheshwar Chandekar, the divisional secretary of the board, this step has been taken because in the last five papers, images of the question paper appeared on the messaging app Whatsapp about 10 to 20 minutes before the exam. “Students who walk in late are suspected as they might have seen the images,” said Chandekar. “This is one thing we can do, it is impossible to control technology.”

Teachers said this is a wise move, considering it is not practical to ban latecomers. “Mumbai also faces heavy traffic, so it is natural for students to get late, but we suggested the board should keep an eye,” said Uday Nare, a former board member, and teacher, Hansraj Morarji Public School, Andheri. The leak has worried exam takers. Dharmit Dhanak, a student of Swami Vivekanand School, Kandivli, said, “We would definitely hate it if there are re-exams for others’ failures. Why should we suffer?

A circular issued by the board on Monday states custody centres should appoint an assistant to help the main exam controller. The assistant will accompany the controller to collect question papers and will oversee until answers sheets are deposited.