Taking serious note of the rising number of malpractice cases during the recently concluded SSC and HSSC examinations conducted by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, the Maharashtra government is considering a major transition towards a fully digital examination system.
A senior Education Department official, speaking anonymously, said discussions on shifting board examinations to a digital platform have been underway for some time. “We have asked the State Board to begin preparations. Though the plan is yet to be finalised, the idea is being actively explored, especially in view of the massive paper consumption in the current system,” the official said.
Apart from curbing malpractice, the move is also aimed at reducing large-scale paper consumption. Officials said digital examinations could help improve record preservation, reduce wastage, and ensure greater accuracy in evaluation. According to department estimates, the HSSC 2026 examinations alone consumed over 10 crore pages, requiring nearly 223 metric tonnes of paper, while around 1 crore answer sheets used nearly 1,700 metric tonnes of paper.
“The long-term vision is to have students write exams online, with evaluation also conducted digitally. This will enhance accuracy and speed up the declaration of results,” the official added.
The department is also planning administrative reforms under the proposed system. Mark sheets and certificates may be merged into a single consolidated document, while the format for student names has been revised to ‘first name-father’s name-surname’ instead of the earlier surname-first structure.
Meanwhile, the Board has already experimented with a GPS-enabled digital lock system for transporting question papers in Baramati taluka during the February-March 2026 examinations. The system ensured secure movement of papers from custody centres to examination halls, and officials are now considering implementing it across the state.
Authorities are also planning to make CCTV surveillance mandatory at all examination centres from next year. At present, compliance varies across centres, and officials indicated that strict action could be taken against institutions failing to install surveillance systems.
The push for reforms comes amid rising cases of exam malpractice. During the HSSC 2026 examinations, authorities recorded 1,983 unfair means cases, with the highest number reported from the Amravati division. Officials also registered 15 FIRs related to examination irregularities and suspended nearly 100 staff members for misconduct.
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