Today, March 1st, marks the commencement of the Class 10 or Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exam, with a staggering 16,09,445 students registered to participate. Officials note a significant increase of 32,189 students compared to the previous year.
According to the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE), the exam will take place across 5,086 centers statewide, with students required to arrive at their designated center at least half an hour before the exam.
Sharad Gosavi, president of MSBSHSE, announced during a press conference that this year’s exam duration has been extended by ten minutes. Present at the conference were Anuradha Oak, secretary; Manik Bangar, assistant secretary, and other officials.
Gosavi attributed the rise in student numbers to those admitted to state board schools in Class 9 under the Right to Education Act (RTE), where fees are covered up to Class 8.
Of the total registered students, 8,59,478 are male, 7,49,911 are female, and 56 identify as transgender. Additionally, 6,177 students are registered as private candidates, and 8,156 are re-examinees.
With the exam scheduled to run until March 26th, stringent measures have been put in place to ensure security and prevent malpractice. Approximately 400 teams from the state board and district administration will be deployed to monitor exam centers and address any instances of cheating.
To further support students, the state board has introduced department-specific helpline numbers (020-25705271, 020-25705272) for assistance throughout the examination period.
