Even as every year sees several students banned from writing examinations for a year after being caught cheating, malpractices continue unabated in the examination hall. As the board exams are approaching, students are often seen exchanging notes and expert tips on ingenious ways of copying during exams.

However, here is a piece of advice for such students- Do not try it this year because the loss is only going to be yours.

Fed up of rising cheating instances during board exams, the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education have come out with a new solution to stop malpractices during SSC and
HSC examinations this year. The board has decided to rope in local vigilance committees ufffd that will include a committee of citizens, Ganesh Mandal activists and self help groups, local NGOs, police representatives as well as education board officials ufffd which will keep a watch on exam centres from a distance and report on suspicious activities.

Ujjwala Devi Patil, chairperson of Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) clarified that the vigilance committee in urban areas will be formed by education board officials and will include a team of prominent locals like corporators, parents, NGO representatives, ex-servicemen, management representatives from schools and colleges.

For rural areas, the committee will include sarpanch or deputy sarpanch, education committee members and other members. "Besides the vigilance committees, we have increased the number of flying squads. Also if flying squad catches student cheating, then supervisor also faces punitive action along with the student, as s/he is also partly responsible for the act. The punishment maybe in the form of loss of salary or promotion which means that even supervisors cannot afford to let go anymore," she said.

The punishment for those who are caught cheating during examinations is severe.

Students are flunked that year and barred from appearing for any exam for the next year, which means that they lose almost two years.