“The government has conveyed its intent to the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) to conduct early supplementary exams from this year,” Education Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe- Patil told Newsline on Tuesday.

The MSBSHSE had said last week that it will be sending a proposal in this regard to the government. Vikhe-Patil said the government was keen on implementing the move from this year. “We have asked the board to prepare for conducting the exams. The government will give whatever support it wants,” he said.

There is a long-pending demand for conducting early supplementary exams for the SSC and HSC students so that they don’t lose a whole academic year. At present, the CBSE and some state boards conduct the supplementary exams for Classes X and XII in a month after the results. The results of the supplementary exams are declared after another month, thus enabling students to save the academic year. However, if they fail in the supplementary exams, they can reappear for exams only in the next year.

Vikhe-Patil said the government was keen on conducting the supplementary exam for those who have failed in two subjects, unlike the CBSE that conducts exams for only those who fail in one subject. “As the number of students who fail in two subjects is huge, it will be practical to conduct the supplementary exam for them.”

As many as 3,16,111 have failed in the SSC exams this year, of which more than two lakh have failed in two subjects.

Even as the intent of the government is clear, the only practical difficulty is in amending the statutes of the board. The statutes say the board shall conduct only two exams a year, in March and October. The government will have to amend the Act to implement such a decision.

The board is now mulling over the technical aspects of implementing the decision from this year. If the board takes a decision to conduct the supplementary exam, it will have to cancel the October exam. Board chairman Vijaysheela Sardesai has already clarified it could not conduct three exams a year. However, she was not available for comment on Tuesday.

And if the October exam is cancelled, those who have failed in more than two subjects will have to wait till March.

Mahendra Sethia, a senior teacher and editor of Chhatra Prabodhan, a monthly magazine dedicated to educational issues, welcomed the idea. “A good number of students fail in one or two subjects as they cannot appear for exams following illness. Such students will be benefited by the move. Moreover, if the students appearing for supplementary exams are given provisional admission for Class XI, that will also help them.”

A section of teachers, however, is not happy with the move as they say it will reduce the days of teaching. “As the exam will be conducted in July and result published in August, it will take away that time from the teachers,” one of them said.