Maharashtra Board decides to drop caste category from HSC hall tickets following flak; admit card date

NEW DELHI: Following criticism from teachers and experts, the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) has decided to remove the 'caste category' column from Class 12 hall tickets 2025, and to issue new ones. The revised Maharashtra HSC hall tickets 2025 will be available for downloading from January 23, on the official website, mahahsscboard.in.

Maharashtra board informed the principals, teachers, students, and parents of affiliated schools regarding the availability of hall tickets for the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) board exams 2025.

The board clarified that it had earlier printed the caste category in the relevant column on the Maharashtra HSC hall ticket 2025. In consideration of public sentiments, the Maharashtra board expressed regret and announced that the column will be removed from the hall tickets. Other examination-related details on the admit cards will remain unchanged.

Caste category in hall tickets

The column was introduced this year to ensure accurate entry of the students' caste category in the general register of their respective schools and junior colleges (senior secondary schools), the Maharashtra board stated. “This would have made sure that the students are able to seek various scholarships meant for marginalised students,” it said.

However, teachers claimed that displaying students' caste on hall tickets would open them up for discrimination. They also questioned the board's rationale, pointing that the hall ticket is a mere temporary document and that the state has a robust caste validity machinery to verify claims under various schemes.

Maharashtra SSC hall ticket 2025

Similarly, the caste category column will be removed from the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) 10th hall tickets, the board informed. These updated hall tickets will be available for download online from the official website, from January 20, at 3 PM onwards via the "Admit Card" link. All other examination-related information will remain unchanged, and there will be no further modifications, it further added.