The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) is planning two major reforms related to class 10 and 12 examinations including a complete restructuring of the question paper format to reduce length and printing costs, and stricter legal provisions to bring answer sheet tampering and manipulation of marks under the ambit of criminal offences.
Board chairman Trigun Kulkarni shared the details of the proposed changes, stating that the reforms are aimed at reducing student stress, simplifying examination patterns, and strengthening the credibility of the evaluation process.
Firstly, the board has decided to restructure the question papers which currently run into 10 to 11 pages for some subjects. According to officials, the lengthy format not only increases printing costs but also creates confusion and pressure among students during examinations.
“At present, many subject-wise question papers extend to 10 or 11 pages. Printing such lengthy papers for lakhs of students leads to huge expenditure. The board spends nearly ₹30 crore annually only on printing question papers. After studying the issue, a committee was constituted and it was decided to significantly reduce the size of the papers,” Kulkarni said.
He said that the new format will reduce the question paper length to just three to four pages, printed front and back, resulting in nearly 60% savings in printing costs and substantial reduction in paper consumption.
“We are trying to make question papers simple, student-friendly and less intimidating. When students see very lengthy question papers, they often feel confused and psychologically pressured even before attempting the paper. By shortening and restructuring the paper, we want to bring more clarity and reduce stress,” Kulkarni said.
As part of this reform, the board will reorganise questions in a more systematic and chronological manner. One main question along with its sub-questions will be placed together on the same page to improve readability. The revised structure will also include a clearer display of marks, proper sequencing of questions, and simplified formatting such as multiple-choice questions and numbering of questions.
“We are changing the overall presentation format. Questions and their respective marks will be displayed more clearly. One question and its related sub-questions will appear together on a single page. The objective is to make the paper easy to understand for students while also reducing unnecessary printing expenditure,” Kulkarni said. The new question paper format is expected to be implemented in the upcoming board examinations after finalisation of the format.
Secondly, the board is pushing for amendments to the existing laws to bring answer sheet-related malpractices under criminal offences. Currently, the Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices Act, 1982, mainly covers offences such as paper leaks, tampering with question papers, and malpractices at examination centres. In recent years however, cases involving answer sheet manipulation, illegal mark enhancement, and fake revaluation processes have surfaced. Kulkarni said that the existing provisions are inadequate to address such offences effectively. “At present, criminal provisions mainly apply to question paper leaks and examination centre-related malpractices. However, serious irregularities related to answer sheets have also come to light in recent years. Therefore, there is positive consideration underway to include answer sheet tampering, manipulation of marks, and fraudulent revaluation practices within the legal framework,” Kulkarni said.
He added that the board has initiated steps to amend the law so that such offences can be treated as cognisable and non-bailable crimes. “The proposal is aimed at making answer sheet-related malpractices punishable under the law. Once these changes are incorporated, stricter action can be taken against individuals involved in tampering or fraudulent activities connected to answer sheets,” he said.