Class 10 exams cancelled: Bombay HC directs boards to reply to PIL on assessment methods

The Bombay high court (HC) on Monday directed the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE), the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Council for Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) board to respond to a public interest litigation (PIL), raising concerns over the assessment methodology to be adopted for students following the cancellation of Class 10 board exams by the state government in view of the Covid-19 pandemic

The Bombay high court (HC) on Monday directed the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE), the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Council for Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) board to respond to a public interest litigation (PIL), raising concerns over the assessment methodology to be adopted for students following the cancellation of Class 10 board exams by the state government in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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A division bench of justice SJ Kathawalla and justice SP Tavade, while hearing the PIL filed by a Pune-based retired professor, Dhananjay Kulkarni, was informed by advocate Dr Uday Warunjikar that the state government’s May 12 decision to not conduct Class 10 exams across all boards would have an adverse impact on students during admissions to Class 11 (first-year-junior college) and would create confusion and chaos.

As the state government had also announced to devise a formula to assess the students but has not done so yet, Dr Warunjikar submitted that if it was left to the various boards to come up with marking patterns, there would be no uniformity in the evaluation, which could further affect the state board students at the time of admissions to Class 11.

It was further submitted that while the state planned to conduct Class 12 exams for nearly 1.4 million students, not holding the exams for over 1.6 million Class 10 students was not justified.

In light of these submissions, Dr Warunjikar stated that apart from seeking the quashing of the state government’s decision, the petition also sought directions to the Centre to come up with a uniform assessment policy for all boards with a proper formula for evaluation and curb any confusion among students.

Advocate Sandesh Patil for the Central government informed the court that while the CBSE board was under its control, the ICSE board was an autonomous body and state was responsible for conducting SSC exams. Hence, it was not possible to take a common decision for evaluation. He further added that an evaluation system has already been issued for Class 10 students of CBSE board which could be sorted by other boards as well.

Advocate Kiran Gandhi for the state submitted that the petition was ornate as the Maharashtra government had issued a resolution allowing the board to make changes in rules pertaining to the new evaluation and assessment system. As the state board was yet to formulate the rules and alternate marking method, the PIL should be disposed of.

Gandhi added that the state board’s examination committee would come up with a formula which would be sent to the Maharashtra government for final approval.

After hearing submissions, the court asked the Centre and the respondent boards to file affidavits in reply to the PIL and posted the hearing to Wednesday.