Mumbai: A day before the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations, students were scrambling from point to point at the state board office at Vashi on Monday in order to get approvals, get documents signed and fill in examination forms. Over 15.05 lakh students will appear for the HSC (Class 12) board examinations in Maharashtra, starting today and ending on March 18, 2020.
Students will be appearing for their English paper today, from 11am to 2 pm.
The exam-eve scramble for some students was to get writers, as they had physical injuries, while others wanted to request extra time for the examinations. Taheer Ali, a student of Narayan Guru College of Commerce, Chembur who visited the state board office with his mother, needs an extra hour to write his paper. He said, “I have a lower intelligence quotient (IQ) so I need one hour of extra time to complete my exams. My college asked me to approach the board and seek permission. I was given extra time during my SSC (Class 10) board exams too.”
While, Mushir Joshi, the brother of a Class 12 student, approached the board asking for a writer as his brother had a last-minute wrist surgery. Joshi said, “My brother had an accident and underwent wrist surgery on his right hand on Saturday. We need a writer for him. I have travelled Al the way from Kudus village near Bhiwandi, as I had to get medical proof.”
These last-minute procedures should be avoided as students should focus on preparing for their exams, according to Sandeep Sangve, secretary, Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE), Mumbai division.
He said, “Students are often misguided about processes and this compels them to run around one day before exams. We urge all students, teachers and staff involved to reach examination centres before time and warn them not to indulge in any acts of copying or cheating. Mobile phones are strictly not allowed inside exam centres.”
The exams will be conducted in 3,036 centres across Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Amaravati, Nashik, Latur and Konkan districts. Students can also contact the helpline and counsellors for assistance required during examination time.
HSC board allows student to write exam wearing gloves
Class 12 student Kushal Modi, will write for his Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) board examinations wearing cotton gloves, as he suffers from a condition called hyperhidrosis, in which his hands sweat profusely. After repeatedly seeking the board's permission since October, Modi has now finally secured permission to do so.
Modi, a Ghatkopar resident and student of Swami Vivekanand Junior College, Chembur, has had this problem for a while. His mother said, “Due to this condition, the palms of his hands sweat profusely. He cannot write, as he loses grip of the pen. Also, the answer paper becomes wet due to sweat and this makes it quite difficult for him.“I visited the state board office at Vashi several times since October. I travelled from Ghatkopar and kept requesting the board officials to grant permission. Now, just three days before exams, the board has finally permitted him to appear for exams wearing gloves,” she said.
His mother revealed, the board officials asked her to present medical proof and also bring Kushal along to the board office before granting permission. Sandeep Sangve, secretary, Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE), Mumbai division, said, “We are checking medical proofs because we often get a lot of bogus cases. It is better to verify before granting permissions.”
Modi will appear for his exams in a non-AC examination hall, wearing cotton gloves. His mother said, “The cotton gloves will be of immense help. Not only will they absorb the sweat, he will not lose his grip of the pen. Latex surgical gloves, which we tried earlier, did not do the job. Invigilators can check his gloves before he begins writing his exam.”
In addition, the state board has provided Modi with an extra 20 minutes to complete his exam. Sangve said, ‘We have provided extra 20 minutes, so that he can be further at ease.”
Modi had taken his Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) board Class 10 exam while studying at PG Garodia School, Ghatkopar, without any extra time.
