Maharashtra News: Low High Scores In HSC Results Spark Debate Over Marking Policy

Mumbai: Reluctance by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) to award full marks is adversely affecting students’ academic and professional prospects, experts have argued, as the board announced the results of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination on Monday.

According to official figures, of the 14,97,969 students who appeared for the HSC examination held between February 11 and March 18, only 1,49,932 students scored above 75%, representing just 10.01% of the total. A mere 8,352 students managed to secure more than 90%, which accounts for only 0.56% of all candidates, while over 22,000 students fell in the 85-90% bracket.

The Indian School Certificate (ISC) examination conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) presents a starkly different picture. Of the 99,551 students who appeared for the ISC exams this year, 20,385 students scored above 95%, accounting for 20.47% of the cohort – more than double the proportion seen in the Maharashtra state board.

“The reluctance from state board teachers to award higher marks significantly harms students’ educational futures,” said Sudha Shenoy, speaking to The Free Press Journal.

“State board students perform well in national-level competitive exams such as the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), often matching or even surpassing their peers from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) boards. However, they are denied access to top-tier engineering and medical institutions simply because their board examination scores are comparatively lower,” she added.

Parents, too, have voiced concern over the evaluation pattern. “My daughter scored 96 percentile in NEET but got only 82% in her board exams. We had hoped for a medical seat in a good college, but her board marks dragged her overall rank down during counselling,” said a parent from Bhiwandi. “We often tell our children to work hard, but the system itself seems unfair,” she added.

Madhav Suryavanshi, chief coordinator of Shikshan Vikas Manch at the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre, attributed the issue to a systemic mindset.

“Most state board teachers themselves come from the state board system and have internalised the notion of deducting marks, as it was done to them during their own schooling. This mindset has been perpetuated across generations. It is only after boards like the CISCE began awarding marks more liberally that we started seeing a positive change, with toppers now achieving 95 to 98%. Earlier, even the best students struggled to get beyond 92 or 93%,” he argued.

Calling for a reformed approach to assessment, Suryavanshi emphasised the broader implications. “Unless the state board adopts a more progressive and equitable marking policy, it will continue to disadvantage its own students. Fairer marking will not only boost students’ morale and opportunities but also enhance the state’s academic reputation on a national scale. If we reward excellence more justly, it is ultimately the state that will benefit – through a better-educated, more competitive student population,” he added.