Maharashtra Board to issue new hall tickets after previously printed document with caste category draws ire

The issue had emerged when students who are scheduled to appear for the HSC exams, starting February 11, received their hall tickets. Upon reviewing the documents, many were shocked to find a new section listing the caste category of each student. This unexpected addition sparked questions about its necessity and purpose, leading to a strong backlash.

Mahendra Ganpule, the former head of the Maharashtra School Principals’ Association, condemned the decision as “completely unnecessary.”

“The validity of any hall ticket is limited to the exam. Its sole purpose is to ensure that the right candidate is allowed to enter the exam hall. A few years ago, when the board included the exam timetable and other rules on the hall ticket, we appreciated it because it provided useful exam-related information. But adding a student’s caste category is excessive. If there are errors in the details, they can be corrected during the form-filling process,” he said.

The Maharashtra State Board initially defended its decision, stating that the inclusion of caste category was intended to help students correct any discrepancies in their personal information. Sharad Gosavi, chairperson of the MSBSHSE, had earlier clarified, “The purpose of displaying the caste category on the hall ticket is to help students rectify errors that may have occurred when they were enrolled in school. Once a student graduates, they cannot make changes to their personal details in the school’s register, which often leads to complications later, especially when applying for scholarships or further education.”

Despite this explanation, many teachers and senior academicians voiced concerns over the necessity of including caste categories on the hall tickets. Vasant Kalpande, a senior academician, argued, “There are a handful of students who may have mistaken. It is unjustified to subject lakhs of students to such unwarranted identification on their hall-tickets.” He also pointed out that in HSC, students wanting to take caste-based benefits have already availed it, making any confusion unlikely.

Talking about the withdrawal of the decision, a senior teacher said, “It is good that the state board has withdrawn the decision, which definitely was a mistake…Decisions having wide-spread impact should be taken after considering all aspects.”