2 min readPuneUpdated: Feb 9, 2026 09:35 PM IST
Video conferencing applications Zoom and Google Meet will be used for surveillance at select HSC board exam centres in Maharashtra, said Nandkumar Bedse, interim chairperson of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE). These video links give district officials live access to footage, as opposed to local CCTVs.
If deemed necessary by the District Vigilance Committee, such video conferencing can be used to keep a watch over any examination centre under their jurisdiction. This technology was used in Dhule district last year, which has given encouragement to more districts to follow suit this year, said Bedse. This time, the whole of Sangli district and parts of Hingoli, Beed, and South Mumbai districts will make use of these video calls.
Of the total 3,387 centres, 172 in the state do not have CCTV cameras. Staff at these centres have already been transferred. When asked by The Indian Express why this had been kept as an option and not made compulsory in centres where CCTVs were not available, Bedse said, “The situation is that if Google Meet has to be done then we have to allow the examiners to carry mobiles. Our rule is that mobiles are not allowed. But if the committee decides that it is required in their area then it can be done. Otherwise in general it is not allowed.”
“It has a deterrence effect to ensure that no outsider comes in. Otherwise people climb outside the windows to help students cheat. We get such photos as well. We have made it clear to education officers that if we get such photos then action will be taken against officials.”
Apart from this, under the anti-copy initiative of the state government, 248 centres have also been declared as sensitive centres with a history of malpractice. Additionally, 271 flying squads have been appointed throughout the state.
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