Tamil Nadu: CBSE, government rapped for 'escape clause' in NEET application

MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court adjourned a Public Interest Litigation seeking compensatory marks for Tamil medium students who took the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test this year, following disparities and errors in the Tamil medium question paper, to Monday.

A division bench comprising Justices C T Selvam and A M Basheer Ahamed heard the counter petition filed by the Central Board of Secondary Education and the Central and State governments which stated that the students, while applying for the exam, were clearly informed by the board that in case of ambiguity in the questions in the regional language, the English version of the question will be final.

The counsels, further defending the government, contended that the petitioner, instead of approaching the court after publishing the results, should have come up with the grievance earlier when the board published its answer keys. They also stated that the rank list for the Tamil Nadu candidates were to be published on June 28 and the subsequent activities including counselling for the admissions should be carried out next week.

Hearing the counter, the judges pulled up the government saying that the mistakes in the questions in the question paper were not mere ambiguity. “This seems to be an escape clause on the cost of the students,” the Judges said and criticised the board asking whether the marks of Tamil students in the examination would be decided based on their proficiency in English. Stating thus, the judges adjourned the hearing.