The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that the examinations of Class X and XII have been cancelled due to Covid-19 outbreak in the country. Indian Certificate of Secondary Education Board has also agreed to follow the decision taken by the CBSE.
The examinations, which were scheduled to be held from 1 July to 15 July, will be conducted as and when the situation is considered to be suitable, the CBSE Board told in its statement.
The top court has asked the Union government to issue a fresh notification regarding Class XII board exams and clarify the issue of providing students with an option to choose between internal assessment and examinations, to be conducted later.
The apex court has refused to reschedule any competitive exams, stating that no blanket order can be passed without hearing the view of universities. It has also instructed that the government will have to file a reply on the status of exams to be conducted by state boards and declaration of results by today as it will hear the case again if necessary.
The Boards had told the top court that students will be judged on the basis of their performance in the last three internal assessment exams.
The Central government informed the court that Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Delhi had already told not to conduct any Board exams, with proposing to shift the academic year to September if exams are conducted in August in view of the current coronavirus situation.
Petitioners had also sought immediate declaration of examinations’ results, which have been left for the HRD ministry to decide.
Petitions filed by various Class XII students had challenged CBSE’s decision in the Supreme Court to conduct board examination in July, seeking that the results of students be declared based on internal assessment conducted by schools in this academic year.
Citing rising Covid-19 cases and AIIMS data, the PILs had claimed that the pandemic would be at its peak in India in July, and conduction of board exams would risk the health of students, parents and invigilators by posing huge practical challenges. It had also pointed out commuting problems students would face in reaching examination centres due to lack of public transport, and restraint on free movement in containment zones, which might prevent students from appearing in examinations.