Now that the SSC examination has been cancelled and the Maharashtra State Board won’t have any expenses, the registration fee students paid must now be refunded, demand several organisations of teachers and students. Every candidate is charged Rs 415 while registering for the SSC examination at the state board. The registration fee is used for printing of question and answer papers, remuneration for teachers for preparing question papers and for evaluation, making specific arrangements for special students, etc.

“The amount a single student pays is not much, but the total fee is a significant amount. More than 16 lakh candidates registered for the SSC exam in the state this year, which means together they paid over Rs 66 crore,” said Amar Ekad of COPS Association, a students’ body which has also written to the school education minister in this regard. “If all the expenses are nullified now with the cancellation of the regular offline exam, then the state board should return the money to candidates. Already many parents are in financial crisis due to the pandemic,” Ekad added. Ekad pointed to the past incidents where the government waived off fees for reasons like natural calamity. “In the current conditions, it is all the more important knowing that the exam will not be held,” Ekad said.