A recent government directive mandating enhanced surveillance for board examinations has sparked a funding dispute between school administrations and the state education authorities in Maharashtra. With the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exams approaching, schools designated as exam centres are required to install CCTV cameras in every classroom, a move welcomed for transparency but opposed due to its financial implications.
Circular Mandates Infrastructure Upgrade for Exam Transparency
The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education issued a circular instructing all examination centres to upgrade their infrastructure. The key requirement is the installation of CCTV cameras in every classroom to ensure the smooth and transparent conduct of the SSC and HSC examinations. While the intention to curb malpractice and enhance monitoring is clear, the circular lacks details on financing this significant upgrade.
Schools Raise Alarm Over Unfunded Mandate
The order has met with strong resistance from schools, particularly government-run and government-aided institutions. School managements argue that they are already grappling with inadequate grants, delayed approvals, and pending bills. The substantial cost of purchasing, installing, and maintaining a comprehensive CCTV system poses an unbearable financial burden, they claim.
Tanaji Kamble, state president of the Maharashtra Purogami Teachers Association (MPTA), voiced strong opposition. "Conducting examinations is the responsibility of the government and the state board," Kamble stated. "If CCTV cameras are necessary, the government must provide complete funding. Shifting this burden onto schools, principals, and teachers is unjust."
Teachers' Association Demands Special Government Fund
In response to the unfunded mandate, the MPTA has escalated the matter to the highest levels of the state government. The association has submitted formal representations to:
- The Chief Minister
- The Education Minister
- The Education Commissioner
- The Director of Education
- Senior State Board officials
Their core demand is the immediate creation of a separate, special fund dedicated to covering the costs of CCTV installation and other examination-related facility upgrades. The association insists that transparency in exams should not come at the expense of already strained educational institutions.
The standoff highlights a recurring challenge in education policy: implementing well-intentioned reforms without allocating the necessary resources. As the exam dates draw closer, schools await a clear resolution and financial commitment from the state to comply with the new transparency norms.
