Quick Summary: The Bombay High Court dealt with a case where several junior colleges, including Sant Pachlegaonkar Maharaj Junior College, had their exam centers canceled because of one cheating incident. The court found this decision unfair and ordered the centers to be reopened.
In January 2026, the Bombay High Court in Aurangabad listened to complaints from several junior colleges, including Sant Pachlegaonkar Maharaj Junior College from Parbhani. These colleges were upset because the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education canceled their exam centers after a cheating incident during the February-March 2025 exams.
The issue began on February 11, 2025, when a student was caught cheating during the English exam. The colleges argued that this was just a one-time thing and not a sign of widespread cheating or that the schools were involved. Despite this, the Board canceled their exam centers in December 2025.
In July 2025, the colleges received a notice asking why their centers shouldn't be canceled. They replied, explaining the incident was isolated and didn't deserve such a severe penalty. But, in December 2025, the Board canceled the centers anyway.
The court, with Judges Hiten S. Venegavkar and Vibha Kankanwadi, found the Board's decision to be unfair. They pointed out that the cancellation was based on a single incident and didn't have enough reasoning.
The court noticed several issues with how things were handled. The Board didn't follow its own rules about timelines and hearings. The notice was sent in July 2025, but the final decision came in December, just before the next exam season, causing unnecessary stress.
The court canceled the orders to shut down the exam centers, allowing them to be used for the upcoming exams in February 2026. The colleges were told to ensure fair and honest exams in the future.
The court stressed the importance of fair exams and said that strict measures are necessary but must be fair and clear. The decision highlighted the need for both the schools and the authorities to work together to keep exams honest.
