Parent files plea in Bombay HC seeking cancellation of ICSE, ISC exams in July
A petition has been filed in the Bombay high court (HC) by a parent, challenging the decision of the Council for the Indian School Certification Examination (CISCE), which stated that the pending Class 10 exam for Indian School Certificate Examination (ICSE) students and Class 12 exam for Indian School Certificate students will be held in July. The plea seeks urgent directions for protecting the life and health of the students who are to appear for the exams that were postponed since March, owing to the Covid-19 outbreak and rescheduled for July.
The exams for Class 10 students were rescheduled from July 2 to 12, while those for Class 12 were rescheduled from July 1 to 14.
In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, the plea moved by advocate Arvind Raghunath on behalf of the ICSE student’s parent sought directions to the authorities to cancel the rescheduled exam time table and declare results on the basis of gradation and assessment of past performances. The plea also sought directions from the court to CISCE for issuing results of Class 10 students on time to enable them to seek admissions to first-year junior colleges (FYJCs) through an online admission process initiated by the state education department. The plea also prayed for restraint on the state authorities from starting online admissions for FYJC till all the boards declare results for Class 10.
Pointing to the compromise on the health and safety of students if exams were to be conducted in July, the petition says, “In present situation conducting examinations is very difficult. Decision of the respondents severely violates fundamental rights provided under the constitution. While all students had to endure the trauma of lockdown measures and potent threat to health and life, the students of respective state boards and universities were protected by the authorities from exams and students of ICSE board are facing strong discrimination and have been exposed to the threat and fear of getting probably infected by moving out for exams.”
The petition further states that as students, teachers and school staff would be required to travel to the school for the exams, if any of them were to be infected by the virus who would be held responsible for it. “In present pandemic situation, if anything happens to students, teachers and staff or police personnel, then who shall take responsibility,” said the plea.
On Tuesday, a bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice S S Shinde was to hear the petition however due to paucity of time, it is likely to be heard on Friday, June 12.