The Supreme Court on May 31 will hear a plea seeking to cancel the Class 12 CBSE and ICSE board exams 2021 and also sought directions to devise an objective methodology to declare the result within a specific timeframe.
A vacation bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari on May 28 adjourned the case as the petitioner had not served advanced copy on the standing counsel for the CBSE and listed the matter on May 31 at 11 am.
The plea, filed by advocate Mamta Sharma, has sought directions to the Centre, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) to cancel the CBSE and ICSE Class 12 exams 2021.
In her plea, the advocate has requested the SC to direct the exam conducting authorities to declare the Class 12 result on the basis of objective methodology within the specific time frame.
When the COVID-19 situation worsened by April 2021, the education ministry decided to cancel the CBSE Class 10 board exams. Simultaneously the ICSE and many state boards cancelled the Class 10 exams.
On April 14, the ministry announced that it has postponed the CBSE Class 12 2021 board exam while the Class 10 board exam has been cancelled.
CBSE had proposed conducting exams between July 15 and August 26 and the result to be declared in September, reported news agency PTI citing sources.
The board also proposed two options: conducting regular exams for 19 major subjects at notified centres or conducting shorter duration exams at respective schools where students are enrolled.
A majority of states are in favour of the second option while some wanted a mix of both options, said the report.
The final decision about conducting Class 12 board exams will be taken by June 1, Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ had said after a high-level meeting held on May 23.
Meanwhile, the education minister has also said that the CBSE Class 12 board examination will go ahead, but also reiterated that students’ safety will be the highest priority.