Maharashtra HSC board exam 2026 begins with mass cheating; 23 face FIR, invigilators suspended

The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) reported 42 cheating cases across the state during the Class 12 English paper held on February 10, the first day of the HSC 2026 exam.

Amravati recorded the highest number of cases at 22, followed by Pune (10), Nashik (4), Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (3), Latur (2), and Nagpur (1), as per mid-day.com report. No malpractice was reported from Mumbai, Kolhapur, and Konkan divisions.

In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, police registered an FIR against 23 persons, including invigilators, for allegedly involving in mass copying.

The incident was caught on CCTV, wherein students were found to be copying from one another’s answer sheets. Suspension proceedings have been initiated against Zilla Parishad employees, and the entire staff appointed at the centre have been replaced, the PTI reported.

Also read Maharashtra HSC Result 2025: No college records 100% pass; 364 cheating cases, 11 FIRs filed

Separately, in Jalna district, six invigilators have been directed to face suspension after a flying squad found students cheating during the English paper in Ambad Tehsil. Action has also been initiated against three students.

The offence was registered under sections of the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at University, Board and Other Specified Examinations Act, 1982.

In 2025, the Board recorded 364 cheating cases across 124 exam centres in nine divisional boards. Of the eleven FIRs, seven were lodged from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and two each from Pune and Mumbai. Notably, Sambhajinagar recorded the highest number of 214 cheating cases last year.

Maharashtra Class 12 board exams 2026 begin on February 10 and will continue till March 11 for around 15 lakh students.