COVID-19: Telangana HC Directs To Postpone Class X State Board Exams Indefinitely [Read Order]
The Telanagana High Court has directed the state authorities to indefinitely postpone Class 10th State Board Examinations in the state, till the impending threat of COVID-19 pandemic subsides. The said examination was scheduled to be conducted between March 31 and April 6. However, due to the serious health risk posed by the Corona virus and in view of the national lockdown, a...
The Telanagana High Court has directed the state authorities to indefinitely postpone Class 10th State Board Examinations in the state, till the impending threat of COVID-19 pandemic subsides.
The said examination was scheduled to be conducted between March 31 and April 6. However, due to the serious health risk posed by the Corona virus and in view of the national lockdown, a division bench comprising of Justice MS Ramachandra Rao and Justice K Lakshman ordered,
"examination in all subject papers of the X class state Board Examinations, 2020 be postponed till the situation normalises, and the respondent Nos. l to 5 shall notify the said decision to postpone the examinations through print or audio or visual Media to-day. The rescheduled dates of the said examinations shall be notified later by the respondent Nos. l to 5."
The order has been passed in a writ petition filed by a Hyderabad resident, who argued that in not postponing the State Board examinations despite the Advisories being issued in regard to COVlD-19 pandemic, the state authorities, viz. the health and education departments, were violating students' rights under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Inter alia, he had sought that in case the examinations are not postponed then at least proper Thermal scanning of all the students, invigilators, and other persons present at examination centers be ensured.
During hearing, the state informed the court that it had already announced that it will reschedule the examination dates, due to national lockdown.
The court has now directed that the examination be postponed indefinitely, until normalcy is restored.
Notably, as per the original schedule, the examination was to be conducted between March 23 and March 30. However, in view of an order passed by a bench led by Chief Justice of the High Court, the exams were rescued to be held from March 31.
Case Details:
Case Title: Bala Krishna Mandapati v. State of Telangana & Ors.
Case No.: WP PIL No. 53/2020
Quorum: Justice MS Ramachandra Rao and Justice K Lakshman
Appearance: Advocate Kowturu Pavan Kumar (for Petitioner); Advocate General BS Prasad (for State)
Read Order