In a first, 103 staffers suspended as Maharashtra boards see surge in exam fraud cases

CCTV coverage at board exam centres has led to a rise in malpractice cases being detected, Nandkumar Bedse, interim head of Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, said.

At least 103 teaching and non-teaching staff members have been suspended in Maharashtra over malpractice cases in this year’s Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and Secondary School Certificate (SSC) board examinations—the highest number recorded in board exams so far.

The Indian Express had previously reported that 81 people had been suspended.

“These many suspensions have never taken place because there was no comprehensive CCTV coverage.

The increased coverage has led to more evidence,” Nandkumar Bedse, interim chairperson of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE), said.

Out of the 3,387 HSC examination centres, over 85 per cent had CCTV coverage.

Similarly, of the 5,111 SSC examination centres, around 90 per cent had CCTV coverage.

According to details provided by the board, 27 staff members were suspended in connection with mass copying at Shri Mainagiri Maharaj Junior College in Washim, where 581 students were allegedly caught cheating during the HSC Physics paper, and a lab attendant was found with a mobile phone.

Similarly, 21 staff members were suspended at Rashtriya Higher Secondary School, Jaitapur in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, after mass copying during the HSC English language paper was caught on CCTV.