CBSE 12th Board Exam: Plea in Supreme Court against cancelling exam

A PIL (Public Interest Litigation) has been filed in the Supreme Court against the cancellation of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 board exams. Tony Joseph, a teacher from Kerala, said in his petition that scrapping exams will be an unfair decision for students.

“Class 12 exam is an integral part of the life of a student and important for admission to higher educational institutions….” the petition said.

Last week, another plea in the top court had prayed for the cancellation of the Class 12 board exams conducted by the CBSE, and the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE). It had suggested assessment of students through an ‘objective methodology’ within a specified timeframe.

The petition, filed today by Mr Joseph, is opposed to the previous plea filed in the Supreme Court by Advocate Mamta Sharma.

“Large section of educationalists and heads of institutions are in favour of conducting exams. Educational experts have opined that exams should not be cancelled and should be conducted using digital mediums,” the plea by Mr Joseph said.

The petitioner argued results on the basis of internal assessment will be “unfair” because in the 2021-22 academic year, “hardly any teacher had seen the students physically.”

The CBSE had earlier said it is yet to take any decision regarding the Class 12 students. When taken, such a decision will be communicated to students officially, the board had said.