Decide on plea over Class 10, 12 exam fees refund, HC tells Maharashtra board

Chopadar’s petition states that he had made a representation to the chairman of the MSBSHSE at Pune but as there was no response he had no option but to approach the HC through the PIL

The Bombay high court (HC) has directed the chairman of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) to decide the representation of a parent seeking a refund of SSC and HSC board exams fees due to the pandemic.

Bombay High Court.

The petitioner, a retired principal has stated that due to the pandemic the state government cancelled the SSC and HSC board exams and as a lot of parents are going through financial difficulties it is mandatory for the state government to refund the amounts collected by the state board, for the exams that it did not conduct.

A division bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice Girish Kulkarni, while hearing public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Pratapsing Chopadar, a retired principal from Miraj in Sangli district was informed by advocate Manoj Shirsat that the PIL was filed as the state had cancelled the Class 10 and 12 board exams, which are conducted by the MSBSHSE through government resolutions dated May 12 and June 9 respectively.

Chopadar’s petition further states that he had made a representation to the chairman of the MSBSHSE at Pune but as there was no response he had no option but to approach the HC through the PIL.

After perusing the PIL and hearing the submissions by Shirsat, the court directed the chairman MSBSHSE to decide on the representation made by Chopadar expeditiously, preferably within four weeks and also decide on the quantum of the amount to be refunded and disposed of the PIL.