CBSE, CISCE Class 12 exams 2021: SC adjourns plea seeing cancelation of exams

New Delhi, May 28: The Supreme Court has adjourned the plea seeking cancelation of class 12 board exams till May 31, on the grounds that the petitioner had not served an advanced copy on the standing counsel for CBSE.

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 said she will serve the copy of the petition to the parties, the bench observed, You do it. We will have it on Monday (May 31).

We permit the counsel for the petitioner to serve 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 on Monday (May 31).

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

"Conducting Class 12 board examination is not possible because of surging COVID-19 cases. Even online or offline examinations not feasible because of an unprecedented pandemic. Delay in the declaration of Class 12 results will hamper students taking admission in foreign universities. CBSE and CISCE must devise an objective methodology to declare the results within the specified time otherwise it will affect around 12 lakh students, the petition by Advocate Mamata Sharma reads.

"In view of the unprecedented health emergency and rising numbers of the COVID-19 cases in the country, the conduct of examination, either offline or online or blended in upcoming weeks is not possible and delay in the examination will cause irreparable loss to the students as time is the essence in taking admission in higher education courses in foreign universities," the plea said.

Delay in declaration of result will ultimately hamper one semester of the aspiring students as admission cannot be confirmed until the result of Class XII is declared, it added.

In a crucial meet chaired by Rajnath Singh last week, a majority of states were in favor of holding CBSE class 12 board exams. A large section of students and parents have been demanding cancellation of board exams.

The CBSE Class 12 exam dates, format will be announced on June 1.

Two options proposed by CBSE

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has proposed two options for conducting the board examinations amid the devastating second wave of coronavirus pandemic.

Option 1: The first option proposed was conducting exams at designated centres for 19 major subjects. For minor subjects assessment can be based on performance in major subjects. This can be done if three months of time period is clearly and safely available to the board. August could be a likely month for holding the exams and the whole process is likely to go on till September end.

Option 2: The exams can be conducted twice by the board depending upon the conducive situation. If a student is not able to appear due to any COVID related matter, he or she will be provided another opportunity to sit for exams.

The exams will be of 90 minutes duration instead of three hours and will be conducted in same schools where students are enrolled. The questions will be objective and very short answer type. Students will have to appear in one language and three elective subjects.

The tentative timeline for this option is the first phase of exams from July 15 to August 1 and the second phase from August 8-26. Exams are proposed to be conducted on Sundays also.