Maharashtra board plans to cut Class 10, 12 question paper length, save cost by 60%

Maharashtra Board: The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) has announced plans to revamp its Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and Staff Selection Commission (SSC) question paper format. The board has planned to reduce Class 10 and 12 question paper length from 10-11 pages down to 3-4 pages printed on both sides, and save Rs 18 crore a year on its printing bill.

According to several media reports, the Maharashtra board aims to not only reduce the printing costs but also bring clarity and reduce pressure among the students during the Maharashtra board exams 2026-27.

The new 10th and 12th paper format would display the marks more clearly, sequence questions better, and group sub-parts together on the same page, helping students to navigate questions easily during exams.

MSBSHSE board chairperson Trigun Kulkarni said that the new format will not only reduce cost by 60% but also serve an environmental purpose by reducing paper use.

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‘Legal action for mark manipulation’: Maharashtra board

Secondly, the Maharashtra board is advocating amendments to the existing laws to bring answer sheet-related malpractices as criminal offences. At present, the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices Act, 1982 primarily addresses offences such as paper leaks, tampering with question papers, and malpractice at exam centres.

However, in recent years, incidents involving answer sheet tampering, illegal increase in marks, and fraudulent revaluation practices have come to light. The chairperson stated that the existing laws are insufficient to deal with these offences effectively.

He further added that the board has begun the process of seeking amendments to the law so that such offences can be treated as cognisable and non-bailable crimes.