SC defers trial on plea against Class 12 exam; govt to decide in 2 days
The Supreme Court on Monday deferred hearing a plea to cancel the Class 12 board examinations after the Centre said a decision on the issue would be taken in the next two days, but asked why an assessment scheme evolved by the Centre during the Covid outbreak last year should not be applicable this year as well.
The court was hearing a plea by advocate Mamta Sharma seeking the cancellation of the exams in view of a surge in Covid-19 cases across the country. Attorney General KK Venugopal informed the court on behalf of the Centre that a decision would be taken in two days, and requested the court to adjourn the hearing on the public interest litigation (PIL).
Posting the matter for Thursday, a bench of justices AM Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari said: “The competent authority is examining all aspects of the matter and is expected to take an in-principle decision in two days.”
The bench, however, wished to know why the assessment scheme evolved by the Centre last year was not being used. “Similar situation arose last year too. Why a similar dispensation as last year cannot be adopted for this year too?” the bench asked Venugopal. The country’s top law officer informed the court that, last year, exams were cancelled midway after some of
NEW DELHI:
Class 12 examinations were completed.
The bench reminded the AG: “There is sanguine hope expressed by the petitioner that the policy adopted last year is good for this year. If you are departing from it, give us good reasons...” Venugopal said reasons will have to be given only if the Centre was departing from last year’s policy.
Petitioner Sharma also requested the court to ensure that the decision was timebound, as there are students waiting to apply in universities abroad. Sharma also served a copy of her petition to the Central Board of Secondary Education and the Council for Indian School Certificate Examination.
On April 14, CBSE issued a notification cancelling the Class 10 examinations and postponing indefinitely the examinations for Class 12. Similar notifications were issued by CISCE.
Sharma’s PIL challenged the notifications, asking the court to consider scrapping the examinations on the grounds that students should not be made to suffer amid a pandemic.
On May 23, the Centre put forward two options to hold exams. While the first one suggested conducting exams only for major subjects, the second proposed reducing the exam duration and holding it at the school where the student is enrolled. While majority states preferred the second option, some, like Delhi, expressed reservations about holding exams amid crisis.