Summary: A court case in Maharashtra centers around the cancellation of several test centers due to a cheating incident. The court decided that canceling the centers was not right and allowed them to open again.
In 2026, several schools and colleges in Maharashtra, including Krushi va Gramin Vikas Pratishtan’s Raje Shahaji Kashinath Mahavidyalaya, went to court against the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. Why? Their test centers were shut down after one student cheated during the English exam on February 11, 2025.
During the board exams in February-March 2025, a student was caught cheating. The schools and colleges said it was just one student and not a sign of bigger problems. Even so, they got a notice in July 2025 asking why their centers should not be shut down.
"It was just one student who cheated; the rest of the exams went smoothly."
On December 18, 2025, the Board closed the test centers. The schools and colleges said this was unfair, especially since the Board used a rule meant for bigger cheating problems.
The case was heard by Judges Vibha Kankanwadi and Hiten S. Venegavkar. The court found that the Board's decision was not clear or fair. The judges pointed out that the decision was based on just one incident, not repeated or widespread cheating.
"Having no tolerance for cheating doesn't mean giving out unfair group punishments without good reasons."
On January 19, 2026, the court canceled the Board's decision and reopened the test centers. The judges stressed that the punishment was too harsh for what actually happened.
The court told the schools and colleges to make sure exams are fair and required them to promise to do so. It also told the Board to follow fair steps in future cases and make sure any big actions are well-reasoned.
The court's decision shows how important it is to be fair and clear in running schools. While stopping cheating is important, it must be balanced with treating schools and students fairly.
