Error-free start to Maharashtra HSC exam

The Higher Secondary Certificate HSC examination commenced without a glitch on Tuesday The first paper English was errorfree marking a significant improvement from last year when mistakes in the subjectrsquos question paper sparked confusion among students While 42 copying cases were reported across the state no such incidents were witnessed in Mumbai according to officialsPupils revise outside Ruia College in Matunga PicAshish RajeA total of 1505037 students registered for the crucial board exam Among them 694652 are girls and 810348 are boys The Science stream saw the highest enrolment 768967 followed by Arts 380410 and Commerce 319439 with the remaining candidates pursuing ITI or vocational courses The Mumbai division alone accounts for approximately 338 lakh students appearing for the HSC exams this yearFlawless startAfter last yearrsquos English paper embarrassment the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education MSBSHSE is striving to ensure a seamless and glitchfree examination process In 2023 instructions were incorrectly printed and an answer was mistakenly provided in one of the questions leading to the board awarding six compensatory marks to students With no such errors this year students were relieved with many describing the paper as manageable albeit lengthyCopying casesRajendra Ahire chairman of the Mumbai Divisional Board of MSBSHSE told midday ldquoIn Mumbai not a single case of copying has been reported so far The exam proceeded smoothly without any disruptions We are committed to ensuring the entire examination process remains fair and wellorganised Additionally we assisted four students who faced formfilling issues ensuring their forms were processed before midnight allowing them to appear for the exam today TuesdayrdquoAn examination hall in Podar College Matunga PicAshish RajeAcross the state 42 copying cases were detected and reported from 19 exam centres with the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar division alone topping the list with 26 cases on day one followed by the Pune division with eight Nashik with three Nagpur and Amravati two each and Latur which reported a single case Apart from Mumbai the Kolhapur and Konkan divisions recorded zero copying cases on Day 1 according to data shared by the state boardTo maintain discipline and prevent malpractice authorities have imposed Section 144 which restricts the gathering of four or more people on 3373 examination centres across the state Last year a total of 234 cheating cases were reported by March 8 with the highest number recorded on February 29 during the Chemistry and Political Science exams In 2024 58 copying cases were reported across the state on day one of the HSC examStudent reactionsStudents shared mixed reactions about the English paper Maulik Raj a student from Swami Vivekanand College Mumbai said ldquoThe exam was easy but I found it a bit lengthy At one point I was unsure if I could complete it on time but I managedrdquoSidharth an examinee from VazeKelkar College Mulund echoed similar sentiments ldquoI didnrsquot find any mistakes in the paper It was good and Irsquom hoping for a good score The exam centre was wellmanagedrdquo Sameer Chavan also from VazeKelkar College added ldquoThe paper was good though a bit lengthy The exam started right on time with no issues at the centrerdquoGulnar Shaikh a student of Swami Vivekanand College in Chembur whose exam centre is the Aisha English High School in Shivaji Nagar Govandi said ldquoThe paper was good I hope to score well Since this was the first exam and it started smoothly I am hoping the rest of the exams go well toordquoAt Mithibai College a key examination centre in the western suburbs the administration ensured that students faced no inconvenience Between 10 and 1015 am security personnel and college staff were seen guiding students efficiently However traffic congestion around the college remained a concern Parents urged authorities to deploy additional traffic personnel at the busy college signal junction to prevent students from getting delayed due to heavy trafficMithibai College Principal Krutika Desai confirmed ldquoSo far everything is going well There are 1300 students appearing for the exam at our centre including one visually impaired student for whom we have arranged special accommodationsrdquoMeanwhile across the stateIn Parbhani an additional 200 students were unexpectedly assigned to the Zari Zilla Parishad School exam centre increasing the total number of examinees from 300 to 500 This sudden influx led to significant anxiety among both parents and students as concerns arose regarding seating arrangements and the overall conduct of the examination School authorities responded by arranging additional seating and ensuring that all students received their question papers on time Despite this the overcrowded conditions contributed to a tense atmosphere at the exam centre In Pune a distressing incident occurred at Dr Sudhakar Jadhavar College in NarheDhayari According to exam centre coordinator Sonu Nandgude during the examination while affixing the barcode a student jumped from the second floor to the first floor and then from the first floor to the ground The student sustained minor injuries and was promptly taken to the nearby Navale Hospital by the staffFacts and FiguresNumber of students in the stateTotal Students appearing 1505037Boys 810348Girls 694652Transgender students 37Streamwise distribution of studentsScience 768967Arts 380410Commerce 319439Vocational CoursesSkillbased 31735Technical Science ITI 4486Mumbai divisionTotal no of students 338478Boys 174815Girls 163656Transgender students 7Exam centres 670Includes Mumbai city and suburbs Thane Raigad and PalgharBoard helplines and counselling supportTo assist students during the examination period the Mumbai Divisional Board has set up a Control Room for examination queriesHelpline Availability Till March 18 2025 9 am to 7 pmContact numbers 02227893756 02227881075Many students experience stress or anxiety during exams To support their mental wellbeing the state board has appointed counsellors for online counselling Students can reach them at 9011302997 8263876896 9960644411 7208775115 8767753069 8169202214 7387400970 9834084593 8329230022 9552982115