Mumbai: Just a day before the start of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) board Class 10 exams, over 200 students were scurrying around the Mumbai divisional board office at Vashi. Students came to the board office to seek last minute permissions for writers, extra time, fill exam forms and pay fees.
Students crowded at the board office and were waiting for hours, as the SSC board exams are set to begin from today and will end on March 23, 2020. Some students came to seek approvals for a writer. A student who fractured his left hand revealed he needs a writer. The teachers who accompanied him said, "The student fractured his left hand yesterday. He can write his exam paper with his right hand, as he is right-handed. However, he will need support for his left hand to draw diagrams in Mathematics and Science subjects and attempt activity-based answers."
Another student had a incorrect medical certificate that said "head" fracture instead of hand fracture. Sandeep Sangve, secretary of Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE), Mumbai division, said, "The doctor incorrectly wrote head fracture instead of hand fracture. We need authentic medical proof to allow writers for students. We want to help all students who genuinely are in need of help."
Some students were filling exam forms and paying fees, when there was a deadline of August 30 for freshers and November 15, 2019 for repeaters. An official of the board revealed, "Schools often do not maintain the deadline. Some schools do not have permissions in place or are illegal and they delay in filling the exam forms of students. Some students are private candidates, so they all need approvals at the last hour."
A student facing a medical condition of hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating, which leads to sweating of palms, has been allowed to wear white hand gloves in order to attempt the exam. Sangve added, "We allowed the student to write the exam wearing white hand gloves. The student has also been given an extra time of 20 minutes to complete the exam." A similar provision has been made for a Class 12 student appearing for Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exams this year.
