Maharashtra HSC Board Exams 2026: Five teachers suspended for aiding mass cheating

Five teachers have been suspended after being caught allegedly facilitating large-scale copying during the Class 12 Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations in Beed district, officials confirmed on Tuesday. The malpractice came to light on February 10, the opening day of the exams, when drone-mounted surveillance cameras deployed by authorities captured supervisors in 16 halls not only failing to prevent cheating but actively assisting students. Following the incident, Beed Collector Vivek Johnson ordered strict action. An FIR was registered against 17 teachers, including the chief conductor of Centre 224 in Chousala, at Neknoor police station. Charges were filed under the Maharashtra Universities, Boards and Other Specified Examinations (Prevention of Malpractices) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Read | Maharashtra HSC Exams 2026: More than 15 lakh students to appear for Class 12th exams Officials said the five suspended teachers were from Bhalchandra Vidyalaya in Limbaganesh, while 12 others from three schools and junior colleges remain under investigation and could face suspension as the probe expands. The Education Department has directed the concerned institutions to suspend implicated staff, underscoring its zero-tolerance stance against exam malpractices. Meanwhile, the Nanded district administration has served a show-cause notice to a Class 12 board exam centre superintendent after serious lapses were detected during a surprise inspection, officials said on Tuesday. District Collector Rahul Kardile, who visited the examination centre at a school in Kandhar tehsil on Monday, found multiple violations of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). These included unused question papers not being stored under mandatory CCTV surveillance, teachers without identity cards, and inadequate seating arrangements with dual desks missing for students. Calling the lapses “serious,” Kardile directed strict action and sought a proposal to cancel the centre. Acting on the findings, the administration issued a show-cause notice to the superintendent. Authorities said several measures are being implemented to ensure copying-free examinations across the district. These include deployment of special monitoring squads and live supervision through Zoom webcasting, supported by two dedicated control rooms.