Hyderabad: High Court suggests government to consider supplementary exams as regular due to Covid

Hyderabad: The High Court on Friday took note of the objection raised by a petitioner on the conduct of the Class X examinations while the coronavirus cases on the rise in the State.

The petitioner M Balakrishna argued that the 10th Class examinations are scheduled to be held between June 8 and July 5 under the present circumstances, when every day, there is a steep spike in the Covid-19 positive cases and considering the gravity of the situation, the parents of the wards may be reluctant to allow their children to appear for the exams during the regular schedule.

To safeguard the children from Covid-19, parents may opt for the supplementary examination dates, which fall in the mid of August and September, by which time the situation may normalise, minimising coronavirus effect in the State. In this context, if a student, even though scores 90% marks in supplementary and still stigmatised as a compartment student, for no fault of his, then the student will be at a loss during the course of his career and further contended that any student appearing for the supplementary examination should be treated as a regular student, petitioner counsel added. The High Court division bench comprising Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B.Vijaysen Reddy directed the State government to consider the suggestion made by the petitioner.

The Bench directed Advocate General Banda Shivananda Prasad to submit reply on Saturday. During the adjudication, the High Court CJ Bench said 'Nothing prevents the State from amending the law'.

Advocate General Banda Shivananda Prasad assured the court that he would get clear instructions on all the above objections raised by the petitioner and also observations made by the Bench by the next hearing. Chief Justice Chauhan expressed that we all should be highly flexible at this moment and we have to be fair enough towards our children during this Covid-19 pandemic. It is our children, what prevents us from being more flexible, he said. The Division Bench directed the State to furnish detailed replies to the above queries on Saturday so as to enable the bench to take a decision on permitting the State to hold the SSC examinations.