Shivani Gadhavi –
Published On: November 19, 2021 at 18:37 IST
The Supreme Court of India on 18th November, 2021 rejected a plea by six students asking for an option of ‘hybrid mode’ in the upcoming term 1 of the board examinations by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE).
The Supreme Court Bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and CT Ravikumar rejected the petition requesting for hybrid mode of the board examinations i.e., both online and offline.
Advocate Sanjay Hegde stated on the behalf of the petitioners,‘Continuous exposure through offline exams sharply increases the risk of infection to COVID-19 rendering the impugned action as arbitrary and in violation of Right to Health.’ He had argued that a fair assessment would be the one that gives significance to the mental health of the students and a voluntary atmosphere , especially in consideration of the prediction of the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic.
In response to the petition Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who was representing the CBSE stated that all the necessary precautions have been taken for the safety of the students and everyone involved in the working of the examination, and that the number of examination centers is increased from 6,500 to 15,000.
The Bench declined the request stating, ‘Don’t mess up with the education system. Let the authorities do their job well. It is too late now. This last-minute business should be discouraged.’
The Bench mentioned that if the petitioners had not approached the Court just a week before the board exams begin, it would have considered the case. The Apex Court also noted that since the Board is conducting the exams for 34 lakh students which have already begun, it would not be possible to change the mode of the exam in the last-minute.