MUMBAI, Feb. 6 -- More than 180 centres, where the state board examinations will be held later this month, in the Mumbai division, do not have CCTV facilities. Last month the Maharashtra State Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (MSSHSEB) made CCTV cameras mandatory in every classroom used as an examination centre from this year, to curb instances of copying. The decision - with a slim window for implementation -- has led to a flurry of activity among authorities of the divisional board across the state to ensure compliance before examinations begin. The Mumbai division includes areas governed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), along with Thane, Palghar and Raigad districts. This year, around 3,50,015 students from the Mumbai division will appear for the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC or Class 12) examination which will begin from February 10, while 3,48,411 students will take the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination beginning February 20. Even as education officers are regularly following up with schools to install CCTV cameras in classrooms that will be used for examinations, data shared by the Mumbai division shows that around five days before the HSC examinations, 58 examination centres are without CCTV coverage in classrooms. Of these, 35 centres are located in the BMC area. 127 centres across the division that will hold SSC examinations do not have CCTV facilities, with 84 of them falling under BMC jurisdiction. Overall, the Mumbai division has 670 centres for HSC examination and 1,004 for SSC examination. In a letter to the deputy director of education, Mumbai division, the BMC education officer underscored the lacunae - the absence of CCTV facility in 532 classrooms in BMC-run secondary schools. Of these, 478 classrooms in 54 schools, which will be used for the SSC examination, currently do not have CCTV coverage. The letter further said that installing the cameras would require around Rs.50 lakh but no provision has been made for this in the 2025-26 budget. The education officer also noted that according to the rules, around 1,010 CCTV cameras are required across examination centres and sought guidance or funding from the deputy director. Rajendra Ahire, chairman of the Mumbai division of the MSSHSEB, said, "Some schools are still in the process of installing CCTVs in the classrooms. We are expecting the number to increase by the time the exams begin." Ahire added that according to rules, examination staff will be changed in centres without CCTV to help conduct copy-free examinations. Under the copy-free examination campaign this year, the Mumbai division has debarred six centres where malpractices were reported last year. Ahire said action would also be taken against examiners if more than five students are found copying in the same classroom. To monitor wrongdoing, the board has formed 21 flying squads for each examination. These squads can visit any centre during exam hours. Ahire said, "Apart from this as a chairperson of vigilance committee the collector of each district can form its own flying squad and can take action if they find any malpractice during the examinations." To reduce stress among students during the examination period, the board has appointed 16 counsellors to guide students throughout the exams....