Nine marked absent for HSC exam

Mumbai: Nine students who turned up late for the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination in Mumbai region on Wednesday were marked “Absent” and not allowed to appear for the English paper by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE). State education minister Vinod Tawde said that students were allowed to come in latest by 11.10 am for the 11 am paper. The nine students, who came in late for the exams gave excuses of being caught in traffic snarls and travel delays. 

“We have offered a buffer time of 10 minutes to the students, which means they can enter the examination hall till 11.10 am but after that, they will be not be allowed,” Mr Tawde said. According to the MSBSHSE officials, the reason for not allowing the students to enter the examination hall late is to avoid possibility of copying and paper leaks. An official said that the nine students who have been marked absent for the exam will have to go for ATKT examination. 

Despite a ban on mobiles inside the examination centres, both, for students and teachers, the authorities seized 15 cellphones at an exam centre in Mumbra on Wednesday. On Thursday, five mobiles were seized at the Anjuman Islam College at Fort. “We have seized the mobiles as we had given clear instructions not to use them. We have also advised and made the faculty understand that mobiles were the cause of question paper leaks,” said an official. 

After mobile phones were found on students who came late for their HSC exam, the MSBSHSE has initiated a process where special education officers are sent to the examination centres for strict inspection.