Maharashtra: Thane School Conducts Exams During Ganeshotsav, Sparking Outrage

As Maharashtra prepares to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi with enthusiasm and devotion, controversy has erupted in Thane, where a local school’s adherence to a centralised exam schedule has sparked backlash from parents, students, and regional student bodies.

According to the Loksatta report, PM Shri Kendriya School in Kolshet began conducting examinations on August 20, despite a recent circular issued by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) on August 22, which clearly instructed all schools not to hold exams during the Ganeshotsav period. The tests are scheduled to continue until September 2, overlapping with the festive celebrations that hold deep cultural significance in the region.

This has reignited long-standing concerns over the conflict between statewide academic schedules and regional festivals. While most schools across Thane have followed tradition by observing holidays during Ganeshotsav, a practice formalised in 2010 following repeated demands by the MNS Student Wing (Manse Vidyarthi Sena), the Kolshet-based institution has stuck to a fixed assessment calendar, as per the report.

The state government had also passed a similar order in 2015, mandating that schools avoid scheduling exams during Ganeshotsav in respect of the cultural importance of the festival.

However, the school in question defended its decision, stating that the exam schedule is part of a centralised plan managed by its main administrative centre in Powai. The institution emphasised that these assessments are being conducted simultaneously across all its affiliated branches in the state and cannot be rescheduled at the local level, as per the Loksatta report.