The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education or MSBSHSE has decided to stop the practice of distributing question papers for Class 10 and Class 12 board exams, 10 minutes before the scheduled time. The decision was taken at the board’s meeting on Friday, February 10. This decision comes after the Maharashtra board recorded instances where photos of question papers went viral on social media from the phones of students and others just a few minutes before the exam was scheduled to begin.

This practice will be discontinued in the board exams that are scheduled to be held in February and March 2023. “There were rumours and some cases when question papers were found on smartphones as soon as exams began. The papers went viral in some cases in the past,” secretary of the state board Anuradha Oak told Times of India. As both these exams (class 10 and 12) are very important in any student’s life, rumours about paper leaks can create several doubts among students and their parents, Oak added.

She added that after reflecting upon the rule of issuing question papers 10 minutes in advance, the board felt that it must be stopped immediately in this technologically advanced world.

The objective is to conduct the board exams in all fairness, and in an environment that is free from malpractices, the secretary of the state board said. The state board used to distribute question papers early to students so that they can understand the test paper and the questions before they started writing for the exams.

After the recent updates, students will now receive the question papers at 11 am (instead of 10:50 am) in the morning session. In the afternoon session, students will receive it at 3 pm (rather than 2:50 pm). Meanwhile, the state board has also announced a new drive against copying to conduct exams free of malpractices and stress. The rule of reporting to the examination hall 30 minutes before the scheduled time will remain the same.

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