HC seeks CBSE reply on reconducting maths test

Also seeks Centre’s reply on plea for court-monitored probe

The Delhi High Court on Monday sought response from the CBSE about its plans on reconducting the Class X maths exam, the question papers for which had been allegedly leaked recently. The court also sought response from the HRD Ministry and the Delhi Police on a petition seeking a court-monitored probe into the paper leaks.

A Bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar made the query after the CBSE said it was still ascertaining the extent of the leak before announcing the date for the fresh test.

The Bench asked the Board as to how could it wait till July to re-conduct the test and keep the students on “tenterhooks” till then. It would not only waste an academic year of the students, but would also be akin to keeping “a sword hanging over their heads” the Bench remarked.

The High Court also sought response from Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) and Delhi Police on a petition seeking a court-monitored probe into the CBSE paper leaks.

‘Respond in 10 days’

It asked the Board and other respondents to submit their response in 10 days and listed the case for further hearing on April 16.

The petition filed by Delhi-based NGO Social Jurist has further sought direction to CBSE to consider giving “liberal marks” to students who will be re-appearing in the examination.

Advocate Ashok Agarwal, who is representing the NGO, has also sought a direction to the CBSE to declare the date of re-examination of Class X maths paper preferably in the month of April.

Mr. Agarwal said that “irreparable loss and injury” has already been cause to over 28 lakh students who had appeared for the Class X and Class XII examination. He said the government as well as the CBSE have not come up with any decision to compensate the students who suffered due to their fault.

NHRC notice

The National Human Rights Commission on Monday said it had issued notices to the HRD Ministry, the CBSE and the Delhi police over the leaks of CBSE examination papers. The commission has sought a detailed report in four weeks.