CBSE Class 12 Board Exams 2021: Supreme Court to hear plea seeking cancellation of Class 12 exams on May 31

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned a plea seeking cancellation of CBSE Board Class 12 examinations for hearing on May 31 after noting that the Centre may take a decision on the matter soon.

The Supreme Court said that it would hear the plea on May 31 seeking directions to cancel Class 12 examinations in the wake of the surge in COVID-19 cases across the country. The matter came up for hearing before a bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari.

At the outset, the bench asked petitioner Mamta Sharma whether she has served the copy of the plea to the counsel representing the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

When the petitioner replied that she will serve the copy of the petition to the parties, the bench said, "You do it. We will have it on Monday (May 31).'' "We permit the counsel for the petitioner to serve the advance copy of the petition to respondents namely the central agency, counsel for the CBSE and the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination,'' the bench said, adding, list it on Monday (May 31).

The plea urged the top court to pass a direction to the CBSE, CISCE and the government agencies to devise an 'objective methodology' to declare the result of Class 12 students within a specific timeframe.

The plea has contended that due to the unprecedented health emergency and surge in COVID-19 cases in the country, it is not possible to conduct the examination and any further delay would cause irreparable loss to the future of students.

During the hearing conducted through video-conferencing, Justice Maheshwari observed that the CBSE is likely to take a call on this issue on June 1. The counsel representing the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination told the bench that since the apex court is hearing the matter, the high courts should not deal with it.

Around 300 students of Class 12 recently sent a letter petition to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana to quash the decision of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to conduct a physical examination amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The students asked the top court to direct the Central government to provide alternative assessment scheme to the students. This comes days after a high-level meeting chaired by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reached a consensus on the conduct of board exams.

The CBSE had earlier said it has not taken any decision yet on Class 12 board examination even as a section of students and parents have been demanding cancellation of exams in view of the pandemic situation.

The board had on April 14 announced the cancellation of Class 10 exams and postponement of Class 12 exams in view of the surge in coronavirus cases.

The CBSE Class 12 examination is likely to be conducted soon and its date and format is expected to be announced by Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank on May 30.

The board had said further information regarding the Class 12 exams board exams would be given to students by June 1.