A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court to quash a notification of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to conduct the remaining examinations of Class 12 from July 1 to July 15 amid the increase in the number of coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) cases.
The petition, filed by parents of some students, sought a direction to the CBSE to declare results on the basis of finished exams.
The petition raises concern about the safety of lakhs of students, saying they may be exposed to COVID-19 infection. It urged the apex court to quash the May 18 notification of the CBSE by which the date sheet for remaining exams of Class 12 was declared.
CBSE to release reduced syllabus in a month
The petitioners said they would demonstrate to the court the “extent of discriminatory and arbitrariness conduct of the respondent/CBSE in issuing the notification for holding of the remaining examination and that too in the month of July 2020 wherein as per the AIIMS data, the said COVID-19 pandemic would be at its peak.”
Cancelled abroad
It alleged that considering the gravity of COVID-19 pandemic, the CBSE has cancelled the examinations of Class 10 and 12 for its around 250 schools situated abroad. It has adopted the mechanism of awarding marks on the basis of either practical exams conducted or the internal assessment marks.
“Ensuring proper cleanliness and safety standards as prescribed by the concerned government in COVID-19 situation in those 15,000 exam centres spreading over length and breadth of the country including rural sectors would not only be risking the health and lives of children but also would be an exercise in futility and an eyewash,” the plea said.
