Maharashtra
Mumbai: Writing challenge for students as Maharashtra SSC Board exams return to pre-Covid norms

Mumbai: As the class 10 secondary school certificate (SSC) examinations return to the pre-Covid norms, city schools are faced with a distinct challenge: getting students to write for three hours at a stretch.
While studies like the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2022 have documented the decline in reading and maths levels of school-going children during the pandemic, the schools also found them to be severely lacking in writing – a key skill for the state board’s pen-and-paper subjective tests for class 10. With the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Examination (MSBSHSE) withdrawing all the concessions given last year, including a home centre for exams, reduced syllabus and additional time, finishing the papers on time has become a daunting task for many, said the teachers.
Less than adequate writing practice a hurdle
According to school heads, most of the students didn’t get sufficient writing practice when schools switched from physical classrooms to digital modes of teaching for almost two years since Covid broke out in March 2020. “The biggest challenge we are facing is that the students are not able to write and complete the paper on time. Their writing process has gone for a toss… Many of them get tired after writing for an hour or so,” said Sangeeta Srivastava, Principal of The Kandivli Education Society’s SVPV Vidyalaya, Kandivali. “Everyone is good at typing, but they give up when asked to write,” she added.
Anjuman-I-Islam’s Allana English High School at Fort is also grappling with this issue. “The students didn’t get much writing practice when the school was shut, as there were no notebooks to be filled,” said Rizwana Satare, Principal of the school.
New measures in place for SSC Board Exams 2023
To make matters more difficult, the state board on Saturday announced doing away with the practice of giving question papers to students 10 minutes before the exam time. “Those 10 minutes were very precious and we had taught students how to take advantage of them. But we are now calling them back to school during their preparatory leave to brief them about this new development,” said Srivastava.
The schools are taking several measures to ensure that the students are adequately trained in writing before they enter the exam halls for their first-ever board test on March 2. While most schools are conducting extensive mock tests, some held special workshops and classes to improve writing skills.
“Post-Covid our students’ writing speed has slowed down to a great extent. Hence, we organised workshops where they were assigned writing practice. We also encourage them to write as many past papers at home as possible, even if that means copying answers from textbooks. This way, they will not learn their answers, but will also improve their pace and stamina of writing,” said Sudhir Ghagas, Head Master, Padmashri Annasaheb Jadhav Vidyalaya, Bhiwandi.
The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)-run Tilak Nagar Hindi School in Chembur has carried out multiple mock tests. “Students need to practice as they have lost their habit of writing during the past 2-3 years,” said the school Principal Gulabdas Achutra.
Maharashtra
Naga Chaitanya’s loving reaction on Aamir Khan starrer ‘Sitare Zameen Par’ trailer, praised it wholeheartedly

Naga Chaitanya’s reaction on Aamir Khan starrer ‘Sitare Zameen Par’ trailer, know what he said
Aamir Khan’s ‘Sitare Zameen Par’ trailer has just come out yesterday and it has started winning hearts as soon as it came out. This film filled with laughter, fun and lots of love seems to be coming with a fun story. This film, which is considered to be a spiritual sequel to the 2007 superhit ‘Taare Zameen Par’, is creating tremendous excitement among the audience, and the trailer has increased this excitement even more.
While the trailer is getting great reviews from all sides, actor Naga Chaitanya is also very impressed with it. He has expressed his excitement for the film by congratulating the entire team.
The South actor praised the trailer of Sitare Zameen Par on his social media. He wrote –
“This looks fantastic Aamir sir… heart touching. My best wishes to the entire team.” Apart from this, Aamir Khan Productions is launching 10 new actors including Aarush Dutta, Gopi Krishna Verma, Samvit Desai, Vedant Sharma, Aayush Bhansali, Ashish Pendse, Rishi Shahani, Rishabh Jain, Naman Mishra and Simran Mangeshkar. The film is directed by R. S. Prasanna, who earlier directed the blockbuster ‘Shubh Mangal Savdhan’. This time he is coming up with ‘Sitare Zameen Par’ with Aamir Khan Productions himself in the lead role.
Made under the banner of Aamir Khan Productions, ‘Sitare Zameen Par’ stars Aamir Khan and Genelia Deshmukh in the lead roles. The songs of the film are written by Amitabh Bhattacharya and the music is given by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. The screenplay is written by Divya Nidhi Sharma. The film is produced by Aamir Khan and Aparna Purohit along with Ravi Bhagchandka. R. S. Directed by Prasanna, the film will be released in theaters on June 20, 2025.
Maharashtra
Trailer of Aamir Khan’s ‘Sitare Zameen Par’ released, fans said- “A story of true happiness”

The much awaited trailer of Aamir Khan starrer ‘Sitare Zameen Par’ released
Sitare Zameen Par is back with the same magic that Taare Zameen Par had created after 18 years. This time too, there will be a sweet and heartwarming story that will make hearts smile again.
Aamir Khan is back with his much-awaited family entertainer Sitare Zameen Par, which is a spiritual sequel to the 2007 superhit film Taare Zameen Par. After the release of its colourful poster, the makers have now finally released the trailer, and it is a great gift, full of love, laughter and happiness.
The tagline of the film is “Sabka Apna Apna Normal”, which talks about taking everyone along and it is going to leave a deep mark in the hearts of the audience. In the trailer, Aamir Khan is seen as a basketball coach who coaches people with mental disabilities, and this leads to a fun and inspiring story.
The trailer of Sitare Zameen Par is full of warmth and joy, with a perfect balance of love, laughter and emotional moments. This heartwarming comedy has many scenes that promise to make you laugh as well as touch your heart. What’s more, Aamir Khan Productions is launching ten new faces with this film – Arush Dutta, Gopi Krishna Verma, Sanvit Desai, Vedant Sharma, Aayush Bhansali, Ashish Pendse, Rishi Shahani, Rishabh Jain, Naman Mishra and Simran Mangeshkar.
The film is directed by R.S. Prasanna, who has previously made a great film like ‘Shubh Mangal Savdhan’. Sitare Zameen Par is the biggest project of his career, in which Aamir Khan will once again be seen in his powerful style.
‘Sitare Zameen Par’ is produced under the banner of Aamir Khan Productions, one of the most successful production houses in India. This banner has given many great and memorable films like ‘Laapata Ladies’, ‘Dangal’, ‘Taare Zameen Par’, ‘Secret Superstar’, ‘Lagaan’.
Aamir Khan and Genelia Deshmukh will be seen in the lead roles in ‘Sitare Zameen Par’ made under the banner of Aamir Khan Productions. The music of the film has been composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, while its lyrics have been written by Amitabh Bhattacharya. Divya Nidhi Sharma has written its screenplay. The film has been produced by Ravi Bhagchandka along with Aamir Khan and Aparna Purohit. Directed by R. S. Prasanna, the film will be released in theaters on 20 June 2025.
Maharashtra
A Group of Teenagers Has Started Stealing Bikes: Agripada Residents Alarmed as Police Inaction Continues

Mumbai, May 14, 2025: A disturbing trend of bike thefts is gripping the Agripada area as a group of teenagers has allegedly been stealing motorcycles in broad daylight. In the past few days, multiple incidents of theft have been reported, sparking concern and anger among residents over what they describe as police inaction.
Surveillance footage, including one video submitted by a local resident, clearly shows a group of young individuals stealing a parked motorcycle in a matter of minutes. The thefts are happening across various locations within Agripada police jurisdiction, indicating a pattern and potential coordination among the culprits.
What’s raising eyebrows is that despite having access to CCTV footage and complaints from victims, the Agripada Police Station has not yet lodged a formal First Information Report (FIR), even after more than two weeks since the incidents began.
“I went to the station with the video, thinking that would be enough for them to take action,” said a local resident and victim whose bike was recently stolen. “But all I got were assurances. No FIR has been registered even now.”
Residents say the lack of police response is emboldening the culprits, who appear to operate without fear of being caught. The community is calling for immediate intervention from senior police officials and a more proactive approach to patrolling and investigating these thefts.
Legal experts point out that delay in filing an FIR, especially when video evidence is available, violates basic policing protocols. “The police are duty-bound to register a complaint if a cognizable offense is reported,” said Advocate Sneha Deshpande, a Mumbai-based criminal lawyer.
As anxiety grows among locals and trust in law enforcement continues to erode, the question remains: how many more bikes will be stolen before action is finally taken?
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