Telangana High court gives nod for conduct of SSC exams after June 1st week

Hyderabad: The High Court on Tuesday gave permission to the State government to hold the SSC examinations after the first week of June 2020, giving adequate time of 10 days to the State government to make necessary arrangements.

Hearing on the public interest litigation filed by Mandapati Balakrishna seeking a stay on the SSC examinations in view of Covid-19 pandemic in the State. The High Court stayed SSC exams, in its orders dated 20-03-2020.

Moreover, the High Court Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B.Vijaysen Reddy made it clear that the State government should review the situation prevailing in the Telangana State in June first week on coronavirus. If the situation deteriorates, the 10th Exams should be put on hold and such decisions if any should be given wide publicity in the media. So that parents and students are kept abreast of the latest developments on 10th exams. Advocate General Banda Shivananda Prasad informed the bench that there are 5,34,903 students who are yet to appear for the examinations and the State government has taken adequate measures to hold the examinations.

However, there is a sense of anxiety and fear among the students in the light of the situation prevailing. In order to improve the conditions, the State government took a decision in the State Cabinet meeting held on 15-5-2020 to hold the examinations even if the lockdown is extended till 31-5-2020. It is imperative that the students are made aware of the safety measures that they will be required maintain social distancing when they are about to enter the examination centres. There should be a thermal screening of the students, the bench opined.

The Bench in its orders pointed out that this court vacates the Interim orders dated March 20, 2020 and directs the State government to ensure that the students at smaller schools, should be transported to larger schools having large campuses or the colleges where they are permitted to take examinations at larger schools and students should be well informed about the change and address of the examination centres.

Further, The Bench directed the State Government to ensure that at each examination centre, there should be sufficient number of thermal screening kits in order to screen the students at the entry point of the school and college campus. Make sure that there are sufficient number of medical staff to look after the medical needs of the students, the court ruled.

Ensure that the helpline mumbers are provided to parents and students, which can be used in case of emergency or in case of confusion. The students in Red Zones or Containment Zones are safely taken to the examination centres, social distancing is maintained inside and outside the examination centres. After the completion of every examination, the examination centre should be disinfected before making arrangements for the next examination.

Moreover, a two days gap is maintained between each examination. Review the situation on Covid-19 on 3rd June 2020 and inform the court about the prevailing situation in the State and take a call by 3rd June, whether the State government wants to hold the examination by 8th June 2020. For further hearing, the case has been adjourned to Legal CorrespondentJune 4.