Supreme Court rejects plea seeking cancellation of Class 10, 12 offline exams

The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a plea seeking cancellation of physical exams for Class X and XII to be conducted by all State Boards, CBSE, ICSE and National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), saying such petitions give false hope to students and only create more confusion. A bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar slammed the petitioner's counsel for filing such a plea saying authorities are more aware of the ground realities and are capable of taking a decision with which the court should not interfere.

"Such petitions give false hopes to students. Entertaining such petitions is only increasing confusion in the system. What kind of petitions are being filed?" asked the apex court. The bench said its last year's order on postponing of examination cannot become a norm to pass the same order for this academic year also.

"This petition is ill-advised and premature. Authorities are yet to take a decision for exam rules and dates in respective boards. If decisions are not in accordance with rules and Act it will be open to aggrieved persons to challenge in that regard," said the bench while dismissing the plea. The apex court said it was refraining from imposing a cost, but added that if the petitioner again filed such petition exemplary costs would be imposed.

"This has to stop. Don't come up again or there will be exemplary costs. Let students and authorities do their job. You can't PIL like this," the bench told advocate Prashant Padmanabhan appearing for petitioner child rights activist Anubha Shrivastava Sahai. The petition sought directions to the State Boards, CBSE, ICSE, NIOS who are going to conduct board exams for X and XII in offline mode to pass a notification regarding alternate mode of assessment instead of offline exams.

The petition has also sought the relief of the constitution of a committee for deciding the formula of assessment of students including compartment students and declaring the result within a time limit and deadline.