Won’t force Class 10, 12 students to appear for exams: CISCE to Bombay HC

The Council for Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) on Monday informed the Bombay high court (HC) that Class 10 and Class 12 students (in India as well

The Council for Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) on Monday informed the Bombay high court (HC) that Class 10 and Class 12 students (in India as well as abroad) will not be forced to appear for the remaining board exams.

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The board informed the bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice SS Shinde that if students do not wish to appear for the pending exams in July, they will be issued final results on the basis of their performance in internal exams or pre-board exams, or based on the results of the subjects they have already appeared for in the board exam.

The board said this decision will be communicated to all the 2,605 schools affiliated to it in India as well as abroad, and the option of every student will be ascertained. The schools would have to inform the option chosen by all their students to the board by June 22.

The statements came in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by an advocate whose son is appearing for the Class 10 exam, seeking direction to the board to cancel the remaining papers and declare results on the basis of gradation, past performance and performance in the subjects for which exams have already been held.

The PIL stated that the board declared its examination schedule in last year in December and the exams started as scheduled on February 27. All the papers till March 18 were held according to the declared timetable. However, on March 18, the board rescheduled the remaining exams due to restrictions imposed in view of the Covid-19 outbreak.

On May 22, the board declared that the remaining papers of Class 10 will be held between July 2 and 12, while those of Class 12 will be held from July 1 to 14.

Earlier, CISCE was keen on holding exams for the remaining papers. In its reply to the PIL, the board had pointed out that on June 7, it held a video conferencing with principals of 196 of the 226 schools affiliated to it in Maharashtra, of whom 84℅ were in favour of holding exams for the remaining papers.

The bench has now sought a clarification from the Maharashtra government on the board’s stand, and posted the petition for further hearing on Wednesday.