Maharashtra HSC Board Exam 2026: Teachers, staff used ChatGPT to help students cheat; booked

Four people, including teachers and exam staff, have been booked for allegedly using ChatGPT to help students cheat during the Maharashtra Class 12 board exams 2026 in Gadchiroli district, police officials have told the Times of India. The malpractice was detected during a surprise inspection at exam centre 18 in Gadchiroli district, at JK Bomanwar High School in Chamorshi on February 18.

According to a report by The Times of India, the question papers were photographed and sent outside the examination hall shortly after the exam began. Peon Suraj Kelzarkar allegedly took screenshots of the question papers as soon as they were unsealed and shared them with teacher Mahendra Kirame via WhatsApp. Kirame then uploaded the questions to ChatGPT to generate answers, which were printed and distributed to students.

Gadchiroli Zilla Parishad CEO Suhas Gade, who led the flying squad inspection, said many students had written similar answers, which raised suspicion and led to further investigation. The probe revealed that examination centre staff were involved in sending out question papers and providing printed answer sheets during the examination, the report said.

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The copying reportedly took place in multiple subjects, including physics, chemistry, and political science.

Following the incident, the education department registered an FIR against four accused, including teachers, the exam centre in-charge, and a peon. Some of them were also suspended from service, The TOI reported.

“The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) has been informed, and strict monitoring measures will be implemented to prevent misuse of technology in future exams, officials said,” the report added.