The Maharashtra government has changed the rules and regulations for awarding additional marks to SSC Class 10 students excelling in arts and culture. The students can now earn up to 15 marks extra rather than of 25 given earlier. The state government has also done away with the two percent reservation that the students, who got the extra marks could avail in the first year junior college admissions. In extension to the marks doled out for participation in sports, for the first time in March 2017, additional marks were given for art and cultural activities for Class 10 students.

This system resulted in around 81,000 SSC students in the state benefiting in the first year. As many as 193 students received 100 percent marks in the exam, thanks to the extra marks. After the results were out, the heads of several schools admitted that the extra marks provision for arts and culture led to the students getting a high score.

Against this backdrop, the education department of the Maharashtra government issued a GR on Friday, revising the rules for awarding additional marks to SSC students. The new decision will come into effect from the SSC exam in 2018. The story has been published unedited from a syndicated feed. The only headline has been modified.