SC asks CBSE to take decision on Class 10, 12 pending board exam by June 23

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to consider the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic situation and to take a decision on the schedule of CBSE Class 10 and 12 board exams 2020 for the remaining papers by June 23. SC also asked the board to consider cancellation of the pending examinations that are to be conducted in July and award marks to students based on their internal scores.

A group of parents, whose children have to appear in Class 12 Board examination, had moved the apex court challenging the CBSE decision to conduct the remaining Board examination from July 1 to July 15. The parents claimed if students were to appear for the examination, amid the ongoing coronavirus, then their health safety would be compromised.

A bench comprising Justices A.M. Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari and Sanjeev Khanna directed the CBSE to consider the situation and revert by next week. The petitioners sought scrapping of the remaining exams, saying marks could be allotted based on internal assessment.

Criticizing the CBSE decision on the schedule of the examination, the petitioners argued that it demonstrated the extent of a discriminatory and arbitrary conduct of the CBSE in issuing the notification for holding the remaining examination and that too in July, wherein as per the AIIMS data, the COVID-19 pandemic would be at its peak.

The petitioners urged the apex court to direct CBSE to declare the results on the basis of examination already conducted and to calculate it on an average basis with the internal assessment marks of the remaining subject, and also stay the decision to commence the examination from July 1.