Atif Shaikh, a resident of Kurla couldn't clear his board exams for the last two years. To add to his woes, the 19-year-old fractured his right hand four days ago while playing cricket. Shaikh hails from a lower middle-class family and studies in WES League Night School in Kurla (W). He studies in a private company and loves playing cricket. Shaikh, said, "I wish to take up a career in sports like cricket. In order to get selected for a reputed organization to play cricket, I have to clear my boards. Hence, I have come to the board office to apply for a writer."

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The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) board examination conducted by Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) starts from today with 17 lakh students like Shaikh appearing from state and 3.83 lakh from the city. The exam will take place in 4,874 exam centres across the state of Maharashtra.For SSC too there are students who have filed the examination forms under the transgender category. The board is yet to ascertain and give out the exact number of students from this category.

Interestingly, a number of transgender students from the state will sit for the exams this year. However, the board officials are yet to give out the exact number of students from this category or ascertain their identity.

The board has mandated that students be present half an hour before the scheduled time of the exam, failing which they will not be allowed to appear for the exam.

Shakuntala Kale, Chairperson, MSBSHSE, Pune, said, "Students are requested to come to the exam centre half an hour before the board exam starts. They are also requested not to bring mobile phones to the exam centre as per the rule."

First language papers like Marathi, Gujarati, Telugu, Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Urdu, Tamil and Sindhi will take place tomorrow in the first half. Whereas, in the second half, students will sit for second or third language papers of German and French.

Apart from students with special needs, the students who had met with an accident before board exam or are suffering from health issues lined up outside board office on Thursday to get different concessions including writer, extra time and nearby board exam centres. Moreover, two unauthorised schools also approached Mumbai Divisional Board to get permission for their students to appear from other schools.