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: The upcoming rail terminus at Jogeshwari, located between Ram Mandir and Jogeshwari stations on the eastern side, is expected to be operational within the next six months. The facility, built on land that previously housed a railway-operated cement warehouse, is projected to remarkably reduce congestion at existing terminuses in Dadar, Bandra and Mumbai Central by increasing train services.

Western Railway (WR) officials confirmed that the Rs 69 crore project, under construction for nearly two years, is progressing steadily. Contractors have been directed to expedite the work, with a target of completing 70-75% of the project by the end of March.

Several key milestones have already been achieved, including the completion of a labour shed. Work on essential components such as the cover shed, service building, platform and station building is ongoing, while track-laying has commenced.

“The construction at Jogeshwari Terminus is moving at a good pace. The island platforms are nearly complete, and we expect the majority of civil work to be finished by summer. The progress of island platforms and associated infrastructure is visible on-site,” said a senior Western Railway official.

An island platform, which allows trains to arrive on tracks on either side, is an efficient space-saving design. The terminus at Jogeshwari will feature a 600-meter-long and 12-meter-wide island platform, capable of handling 24-coach trains. Additionally, the facility will include two berthing lines and a Power Run Down (PRD) line to facilitate shunting operations. A coach watering facility will also be available.

With Mumbai’s growing commuter base, the Jogeshwari Terminus is expected to provide much-needed relief, streamlining operations and improving connectivity for long-distance travellers.