Pupils to be made aware of outcome of cheating in exams

Mumbai: After several cases of cheating were detected during the ongoing Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations, the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) has decided to start creating awareness about the consequences of cheating in exams. Board officials said that students found guilty of cheating would be debarred from appearing for exams for three to five years, as per the inquiry report of the newly appointed search committee.

With 20 to 25 cases of cheating involving paper chits, mobile phones and other study material having been detected since the beginning of the ongoing HSC exams, the new system will be initiated from the next academic year.

Subhash Borse, in-charge secretary of MSBSHSE, Mumbai region, told The Asian Age, “When a student does not know about the consequences of copying or cheating during the board exams, he or she feels it is easy to get away. Hence, we have decided to enlighten students through teachers and principals by creating awareness from the next academic year.”

A search committee has been set up by the state board to look into such cases. The inquiry report of this committee will decide on the action to be taken against students caught cheating or copying during exams. The punishment will depend on the nature of copy.

For every HSC exam, nearly four to five cheating cases were registered but on Wednesday, the number rose to eight in the Mumbai region. Apart from Mumbai, other regions such as Aurangabad, Nashik and Pune recorded the most cheating cases this year.