Maharashtra SSC board exams to begin Friday, over 16 lakh students set to appear
The highest number of candidates will be appearing for the examination in the Mumbai division at 3,49,873 followed by the Pune division at 2,78,145
"For us, examinations are a part of life, not the ultimate goal. These innovations on mental health are a sensitive and strong step towards the holistic development of students," he said.(File Photo) Over 16.15 lakh students are set to appear in the 2026 Maharashtra Secondary School Certificate (SSC) class 10 board examinations beginning on February 20. The exams take off with the first language paper on day one and will end on March 18.
8,65,740 students appearing for the examination are male, 7,49,736 students are female, and 13 students are transgender. In total, 16,15,489 students will be appearing for the exam which will be conducted across 5111 centres in the state. An increase of 3879 students has been observed in 2026 as compared to the previous year. Students from 23,683 schools have registered from across the state.
At a press conference on February 18, Nandkumar Bedse, interim Chairperson of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE), informed that 554 of the 5111 examination centres lack CCTV cameras. 191 examination centres have been declared as sensitive centres that are prone to malpractices. 42 of these sensitive centres lack CCTV cameras and examination staff at these centres have been transferred. Approval of 31 examination centres where malpractice cases were found last year has been revoked.
The highest number of candidates will be appearing for the examination in the Mumbai division at 3,49,873 followed by the Pune division at 2,78,145. The Nagpur division has 1,53,890 candidates, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division has 1,91,952 candidates, Kolhapur has 1,32,808 candidates, Amravati has 1,65,318 candidates, Nashik has 2,06,636 candidates, Latur has 1,11,088 candidates, and Konkan has 25,779 candidates.
Instructions for students
Candidates have been instructed to reach their examination centres at least half an hour before the scheduled start time. Students appearing for the morning session must be present in the examination hall by 10.30 am, while those appearing for the afternoon session must report by 2.30 pm. As per existing norms, an additional 10 minutes will be provided at the end of the stipulated examination time. Cases will be filed under the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices Act, 1982, if malpractice cases are found at any examination centre.
Mental health support for students
For mental health support, 10 counselors have been appointed at the state board level, while two counselors have been appointed at the divisional board level for each district, who will be available to students over the phone.
The counsellors’ helpline numbers are: 9960644411, 7972573742, 9834984583, 9359978315, 8169202214, 9371661255, 7208421381, 7701956068, 8421159528, 9404783996.
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