CBSE, CISCE to cancel offline board exams for classes 10, 12? SC to hear plea today

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CBSE, CISCE class 10th, class 12th board exams: The Supreme Court on Wednesday (February 23, 2022) will hear a plea seeking cancellation of offline board examinations for classes 10 and 12 to be conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) and several boards this year.

"Without completing the course, how can examination be conducted," a bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar orally observed on Tuesday after the counsel appearing for the petitioner said that although the Covid-19 situation has improved, classes have not been completed.

The bench, also comprising Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and CT Ravikumar, granted liberty to the counsel appearing for the petitioner to serve the advance copy of the plea to the standing counsel for concerned respondents, including the CBSE.

The plea, filed by activist Anubha Shrivastava Sahai and others, was mentioned before the apex court for urgent listing.

The counsel, appearing for the petitioners, told the bench that the top court had passed orders in 2020 and 2021 regarding class 10 and 12 board exams and this year also, the same problem is there.

"Last year, there was a scheme after your lordships intervention. This year also, we require some sort of solution otherwise this is going to drag," he said, adding that this will affect further admissions and future of students will be in peril.

The bench asked the counsel whether the examinations have commenced or are yet to commence. The counsel said that examination of the Madhya Pradesh board has commenced.

"Even though the corona situation has improved, the classes have not completed... Unless the course is completed, you should not conduct the examination. This is going to delay further. CBSE has not proposed any scheme," he said.

The plea has sought directions to the CBSE and other education boards, which have proposed to hold board examinations for classes 10 and 12 in offline mode, to devise alternate modes of assessment.

It is noteworthy that the CBSE has announced to conduct term two board exams for class 10 and class 12 from April 26.

On June 17 last year, the top court had approved the assessment schemes of the CBSE and the CISCE, which had adopted the 30:30:40 formula for evaluation of marks for students of 12th standard based on results of class 10, 11 and 12 respectively.

The CBSE had said it would evaluate class 12 students for theory based on 30 per cent marks from class 10 board, 30 per cent from class 11, and 40 per cent from marks based on the performance in the unit, mid-term, and pre-board tests in class 12.

It had said that marks obtained by class 12 students in practical and internal assessment on an actual basis as uploaded by schools on the CBSE portal would be also considered in deciding the final results. 

CBSE Class 10th, 12th Term 1 Result yet to be declared 

Meanwhile, thousands of students are waiting anxiously for CBSE to declare Class 10th and Class 12th Term 1 exam results. According to various media reports, the CBSE may release Class 10th and Class 12th Term 1 exam results this week. However, no such official announcement has come from the CBSE office yet.

(With agency inputs)