Officials have reported that this year, the Class 10 or Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exam, commencing today (March 1), will see a total of 16,09,445 students appearing. Compared to the previous year, there is an increase of 32,189 students, as stated by officials.
The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) has arranged for the exam to be conducted across 5,086 centres in the state, with students required to be present half an hour prior to the exam. According to Sharad Gosavi, President of MSBSHSE, the exam duration has been extended by ten minutes this year. Gosavi, along with other officials including Anuradha Oak and Manik Bangar, addressed the press on Thursday regarding exam arrangements.
Gosavi explained that the rise in student numbers can be attributed to students admitted to private schools under the Right to Education Act (RTE) by the state government. These students have transitioned to state board schools for Class 9, leading to the increase.
In terms of gender distribution, there are approximately 8,59,478 male students and 7,49,911 female students registered for the exam. Additionally, 56 students identify as transgender. The number of students applying in private mode is 6,177, while 8,156 are re-examinees.
To ensure exam integrity, measures have been put in place, including the deployment of around 400 teams from the state board and district administration to oversee each centre and address any instances of cheating. These measures aim to maintain peace and security throughout the examination period, which will continue until March 26.
Gosavi mentioned, “Team members have been issued identity cards. The state board has initiated department-specific helpline numbers, and students can reach out at 020-25705271 or 020-25705272.”
