Mumbai: The examination centres where mass copying for classes 10 and 12 board exams is reported will be barred permanently, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said.

Forty two cases of copying were reported on the first day of the HSC examination for class 12 on Tuesday, according to the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE).

Maharashtra CM Asks Officials To Monitor Sensitive Examination Centres

Fadnavis on Tuesday asked officials to monitor sensitive examination centres through drones and video cameras. He directed the sacking of school employees or teachers if they were involved in facilitating copying.

The decision was taken in the state cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Fadnavis also interacted with all district collectors and police officials and took stock of the preparation for exams.

The chief minister said district collectors should form special squads which should reach examination centres an hour before the exam starts and wait until the answer sheets are submitted to the custodian.

It is the joint responsibility of the district collector, superintendent of police, and chief executive officer of the Zilla parishad to prevent copying in exams. Similarly, in urban areas, it will be the responsibility of the municipal commissioner and police commissioner, he said.

Fadnavis also directed district collectors, superintendents of police and chief executive officers of Zilla Parishads to visit sensitive examination centres on the days when English, Mathematics and Science papers are scheduled.

About The Exam

The Class 12 board exams commenced at 3,373 centres in the state. The exams will continue till March 18.

Fadnavis said any unauthorised person should not be allowed in 100 metres from the examination centre. Steps should be taken to ensure students do not carry any material that can lead to copying in exams, he said.

It is also expected from the flying squad to effectively take steps to ensure copy-free examination, the CM said.

The State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education stated, “42 cases of copying were reported on the first day of HSC examination.” More than 15 lakh students appeared for the first paper, English, at more than 3,000 exam centres in the state.

Out of 42 cases of copying (malpractices), 26 were reported from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, eight in Pune, three in Nashik, two each in Amravati and Nagpur and one in Latur.

Mumbai, Konkan, and Kolhapur registered zero cases of malpractice.

Meanwhile, a student appearing for the exam at a centre in Pune’s Narhe area tried to jump from the second floor. He suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital, officials said.

Mumbai: Mumbai has reported at least three Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) patients till now. A 13-year-old girl, who is said to be the youngest GBS virus patient from Mumbai has been admitted to BMC-run Nair hospital. 

Nair Hospital dean, Dr Shailesh Mohite confirmed to The Free Press Journal that the minor girl, affected by the GBS virus is admitted to the hospital. The patient is under treatment and in stable condition. 

Mumbai Sees Its First GBS Death

Meanwhile, Mumbai recorded its first GBS death. “The patient was admitted to Nair Hospital on January 23. He passed away at 11.10 on February 10. The deceased is identified as Subhash Dete,” said Dr Mohite. 

Reportedly, Dete (53) was working as a ward boy in the BMC-run V N Desai Hospital in Santacruz. After being admitted to Nair Hospital, he was placed on a ventilator, however, he succumbed to the virus. 

This has taken the death toll from GBS in the state to eight. 

Earlier, Mumbai had reported its first GBS case when a 64-year-old woman was diagnosed with the syndrome.

Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a terror attack threat ahead of his two-day US visit, Mumbai Police said on Wednesday. The police control received the threat call on Tuesday, February 11 as the PM was leaving on an official visit abroad. The person who made the call was arrested. As per the Mumbai Police, he is mentally ill.

“On 11th February, a call was received at Mumbai Police Control Room warning that terrorists may attack PM Modi’s aircraft as he was leaving on an official visit abroad. Considering the serious nature of the information, the Police informed other agencies and began an investigation, the police said in a statement.

The accused was arrested from Mumbai’s Chembur area. “The person who made the threat call to the Mumbai Police Control Room has been taken into custody from the Chembur area. He is mentally ill,” the police added.

Notably, PM Modi embarked on his visit to France and the United States on February 10. He co-chaired the AI Summit on Tuesday. The Prime Minister is set to depart for the US on Wednesday, February 12.