For the first time, the Maharashtra State Board for Secondary and Higher Secondary Education has decided to offer up time concession to autistic pupils, appearing for the secondary school certificate (SSC, class X), which starts on March 04..

According to the statement released by the board's Pune division, pupils suffering from autism will now be permitted 20 minutes additional for a one-hour exam, 40 minutes for a two-hour exam, 50 minutes for a two-and-a-half-hour exam and 60 minutes for a three-hour exam.

Moreover, these pupils will also be permitted to make use of computers.

After CBSE, the SSC board has become the second education board to offer up time concession to pupils with autism.

In the meantime, around 2.55 lakh pupils from Pune division comprising Pune, Ahmednagar and Solapur will appear for the first language Marathi, Hindi and other local languages exam from 460 centres at 3,035 educational institutions.

The exam will start at 11 am. The bar code system on answer sheets will be continued from 2009.

Approx 51,514 pupils from Pune city, 18,762 pupils from Pimpri-Chinchwad and 53,945 from Pune rustic will give the examination.

The exams will take place under tight police protection.