Students suffer travel stress, safety worries and delays, while officials refuse changes despite repeated requests from colleges and families
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI – With the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) set to begin the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations from Tuesday (10 February) and the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations from 20 February, serious concerns have been raised over the allotment of examination centres far from students’ colleges and homes in Mumbai.
The state education department often claims that special care is taken to ensure students face no difficulty during board examinations. However, several complaints received from different parts of Mumbai and its suburbs suggest a gap between official claims and ground reality. Many students, particularly girls from working-class and Muslim-majority localities, say they have been assigned centres located at considerable distances, causing anxiety at a time when they are already under exam pressure.
Outside an examination centre in Sion, groups of HSC students were seen discussing travel routes and timings, worried about reaching on time in heavy morning traffic. Similar scenes have been reported in Mira Road and Mumbra, where students fear delays due to congestion and long travel hours.
A Class 12 science student residing in Mira Road shared her experience. She studies at SVPV School and Junior College, located near Shivaji Garden, just a short distance from her home. Despite this, her HSC examination centre has been allotted at BMS High School and Junior College, which is much farther away.
“From my house, the auto-rickshaw fare to the exam centre is ₹83 one way,” she said. “This may not sound like much to some people, but for middle-class families, it adds up over several exam days. More than money, the problem is time and tension.”
She added that many girls from her college have been assigned the same distant centre. “What hurts is that there are other centres like Banegar School and Junior College and Rawal Junior College that are closer to our college. Still, we were sent far away.”
The student said she had appealed to the board to reconsider. “Students are already under mental stress because of exams. If the centre is far, the fear of getting late increases our anxiety. The board should think from a student’s point of view.”
A similar complaint has come from Mumbra, a suburb with a large Muslim population, where many families depend on daily wages and modest incomes. A Class 12 commerce student living near Mumbra railway station said her college, Abdullah Patel High School and Junior College for Girls in Amrut Nagar, had all its students allotted to Sambhass School, located near the bypass toll naka, beyond Kausa.
“Our area has many junior colleges nearby,” she explained. “There is St Mary’s College on Khadi Machine Road, Kevin Mary School, Asadullah English School and Junior College near Kausa graveyard, Shoaib College, and Samiya School. Leaving all these, our centre has been placed beyond Kausa, near the toll naka.”
She pointed out the traffic situation in Mumbra-Kausa during peak hours. “At exam time, traffic here is very heavy. If any student gets stuck and falls behind, it can become a serious problem. I live near Mumbra station, so I will have to cross the entire Mumbra-Kausa stretch every day.”
Other students from the same college echoed her concerns. Parents, especially of girl students, are worried about safety, long travel, and uncertainty. Many Muslim families in the area prefer nearby centres so their daughters do not have to travel far early in the morning.
When contacted, members of the junior college administration confirmed the issue. A college representative stated that nearly 250 students from their institution had been allocated the Sambhass centre this year.
“Till last year, centres were usually given in nearby colleges,” the official said. “This time, without any clear reason, our students have been sent far away. We raised the matter with board officials.”
According to the college, the response from the board was discouraging. “We were told that all preparations are complete and no changes are possible for this examination. They only assured us that our request would be considered in future exams.”
This reply has left students and parents disappointed. Many are asking a basic question: when exam centres are allotted, do officials check whether there are suitable schools or junior colleges nearby? If such institutions exist, why should students be sent to distant locations?
Education activists say the issue reflects a lack of sensitivity towards students from marginalised and minority areas. “In places like Mumbra and Mira Road, many students come from Muslim families where parents are daily wage earners,” said a local education observer. “Extra travel costs, safety concerns, and stress affect these students more.”
He added that female students suffer the most. “Parents worry when daughters have to travel long distances alone. The board should be extra careful in such cases.”
Several parents have also spoken out. A father of an HSC student from Mumbra said, “My daughter is sincere and studies hard. But every morning she will now worry about traffic and arriving on time. This is not fair. Exams should test knowledge, not endurance.”
Students also feel that their voices are not being heard. “We are not asking for special treatment,” said another student. “We just want a centre close to our college, like previous years.”
Meanwhile, the board has announced strict measures under the ‘Copy-Free Campaign’ for SSC and HSC examinations. As part of this drive, State School Education Minister Dada Bhuse has ordered that photocopy and printing shops within a 500-metre radius of examination centres be kept closed during exam hours.
According to the minister, sensitive centres will also be monitored using drones and video surveillance. “We want to ensure fair examinations and prevent malpractice,” he said.
While steps to stop copying have been welcomed, students and parents feel that equal attention must be given to genuine logistical problems. “Stopping photocopy shops is fine,” said a parent from Mira Road. “But what about stopping the stress caused by distant centres?”
Teachers too believe that planning needs improvement. A junior college teacher said, “The board should balance security with convenience. If students are tired before even entering the exam hall, their performance will suffer.”
As the exams draw closer, there is growing anxiety among students, especially Muslim girls from suburbs like Mumbra, Kausa and Mira Road. For them, the issue is not just distance, but dignity, safety and peace of mind.
Unless the authorities review their approach in future examinations, many fear that such decisions will continue to trouble students who already face enough pressure. For now, they are left hoping that traffic is kind, transport runs on time, and their hard work is not affected by avoidable difficulties created by poor planning.
