Now Reading: Maharashtra board waives exam fees for drought-hit talukas
-
01
Maharashtra board waives exam fees for drought-hit talukas
The Story in Brief
The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) has waived examination fees for Class 10 and Class 12 students in 265 drought-affected talukas. The Indian Express reports the board has instructed its divisional units to accept online applications without collecting fees from these students until further orders.
The fee exemption covers students appearing for the SSC and HSC exams. The Class 12 exams will be held from February 8 to March 16, 2027, and the Class 10 exams from February 15 to March 11, 2027. The decision follows a government resolution on September 25 announcing concessions for drought-hit areas.
Poor rainfall this year has left 265 of the state's 358 talukas, about 74 per cent, drought-affected. Last year, over 15.5 lakh students registered for SSC exams and over 14.4 lakh for HSC exams.
Update, 4 October 2026: Business Standard published on September 18 confirms the same exam schedule, Class 12 from February 8 to March 16, 2027 and Class 10 from February 15 to March 11, 2027, but does not report the fee waiver. The Indian Express alone covers the fee exemption.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Indian Express report frames the fee waiver as a direct response to drought conditions, emphasising the government resolution and the number of affected talukas. Business Standard's report from September 18 focuses solely on the exam schedule without mentioning the fee waiver or drought context, indicating uniform coverage of the datesheet. The balanced reading confirms the waiver applies to the same exam schedule both outlets report.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): indianexpress.com (neutral report), business-standard.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
