As the parents are concern about the safety of their wards and other students due to COVID-19, a group of parents from Delhi-NCR have approached the Supreme court seeking quashing of CBSE notification to conduct the remaining class XII board examination from July.
On May 18, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had issued notification announced to hold the remaining examination of CBSE Board (class XII) from July 1-15.
Petitioners- Delhi Residents, Col. (Retd)Amit Bathla, Poonam Singh, Charu Singh, and Sunitha– whose children are class XII students– have challenged the May 18 CBSE notification that announced a fresh schedule for holding examinations already conducted and to calculate it on an average basis with the internal assessment marks of the remaining subject”.
In the PIL, the parents have cited the data of All India Institute of Medical Science(AIIMS), according to which, the pandemic would be at its peak in July and there will be about 3,00,000 COVID 19 cases.
“The situation coupled with the fact that cases in India are swelling dramatically and as on date there are almost 3,00,000 cases of COVID-19 patients.
Even if it is to be assumed that 50% of the cases are asymptomatic then, the said students appearing for these exams could also be potential careers themselves posing a great risk to other family members and themselves,” read the plea.
Further added in the petition, “Moreover, to assume that the students in the month of July where the temperature touches almost 45 degree Celsius and humidity around with students wearing gloves and mask sitting in examination centers for 4 hours at stretch would be a task which would be completely hazardous to everyone.”
As stated in the plea while quashing the CBSE notification,” It is highly regretful that the respondents herein have no genuine concern about putting the lives of all the students pan India and have no explanation whatsoever in insisting upon the said examination in India.”
They urged the court to direct the CBSE to declare this years’ Class XII results “On the basis of examination already conducted and to calculate it on an average basis with the internal assessment marks of the remaining subject”.
They sought to highlight that Delhi University has canceled first Year and Second-year examinations. even IITs have canceled their examinations, including those of final-year students, on account of the pandemic, they said. some states have canceled all university examinations, they further collaborated.
Highlighting the rise in Covid-19 cases, the petitioner said the pandemic would be at its peak in India and it would disastrous for the students to assemble at examination centers in large numbers with COVID-19 virus in the air.
