Maharashtra Police have formed a six-member SIT to investigate the suspected leak of HSC class 12 chemistry and physics papers. The leak surfaced in Nagpur, with four arrested so far. Authorities are probing WhatsApp circulation and verifying if the viral paper matches the original exam
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Maharashtra Police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the suspected HSC board exam paper leak.
As reported by PTI, the six-member SIT will trace the source of the leaked papers and identify all persons involved.
The matter surfaced on February 18 during the chemistry exam at St Ursula High School in Nagpur when a supervisor found the question paper on a student's mobile phone before the start of the exam.
The chemistry and physics question papers of Maharashtra board’s class 12 exam were reportedly leaked.
In regard to the paper leak, police have so far arrested four accused, including coaching institute operators. While the investigators believe the paper was circulated through a WhatsApp group among students, further investigation by the SIT may lead to the basic roots of the paper leak.
Earlier, on February 21, screenshots of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) Chemistry paper began doing the rounds on messaging platforms shortly before the exam commenced.
The paper was allegedly circulated on social media before the examination triggered concern among students and parents. As per the reports, there are allegations that the paper was leaked prior to distribution at examination centres.
Soon after the incident was reported on Friday, officials said that local police have initiated a probe to verify the authenticity of the circulated paper and to determine whether it matches the actual question paper administered by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE).
Furthermore, the Education Department authorities were also alerted. Board officials also reportedly cross-checked the viral content with the original paper to assess whether there had been any breach in protocol.
The Maharashtra SSC exam 2026 begins on February 20
A total of 1,615,489 students from across Maharashtra have registered for the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination to be conducted by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) in February-March 2026. The examinations have already begun on February 20 (Friday) and will go on till March 18 (Wednesday).
MSBSHSE will conduct the exams through its nine divisional boards at Pune, Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Mumbai, Kolhapur, Amravati, Nashik, Latur and Konkan. Of the total students who have registered for this examination, 865,740 are boys, 749,736 are girls, and 13 are transgender students.
The official timetable was published on the Board’s website on 15 October 2025. Registration has been completed through 23,683 schools, and the examination will be conducted at 5119 main centres across the state, informed Dr Deepak Mali, secretary, Maharashtra State Board, Pune.
(With inputs from PTI)
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