Don't Revoke State's Decision To Cancel SSC Board Examination : Child Rights Activist Opposes PIL In Bombay High Court

Child rights activist Anubha Shrivastava Sahai states that several countries worldwide have cancelled final examinations, deciding to either promote students or asses them on their internal marks.

She has opposed the PIL petitioner's prayer to have a standard criterion for all examination boards, including the State board SSC, the autonomous Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (ICSE), and Union-controlled Central Board of School Examination (CBSE) and International board (IB) because they have always had different criteria of assessment.

"All the different Boards of study since the beginning are running different curriculum, different criteria of assessment, even when the exams were held offline."

She adds that since the outlook towards the academic development of each Board is different, the study material is different, the curriculum is diverse, there is bound to be different criteria of assessment by each Board.

"The contention of the petitioner that there should be uniform assessment for all the boards is totally unfounded, uncalled for and will be contrary to the prevalent practice and also to the very foundation of thought on which the study curriculum is based by each Board of examination. The applicant therefore states that the second prayer of the petitioner regarding having a common criterion for all the Board of examinations cannot be and ought to be considered."

The court is likely to hear Sahai's intervention plea for admission tomorrow.

On Monday, the division bench of Justices SJ Kathawala and Surendra Tavade heard the PIL filed by Pune based activist Dhananjay Kulkarni. Advocate Uday Warunjikar appearing for Kulkarni, submitted that different boards are taking different decisions whether or not to conduct Std 10 examinations, which is likely to create utter chaos for the two crore school children.

Therefore, the Centre must ensure a consistent decision is taken based on a proper formula, Warunjikar submitted.

Kulkarni also seeks a stay on the State's May 12 decision against examinations in the interim. His plea mentions that since the State is mulling over conducting standard 12 HSC board examinations in June, SSC exams can also be conducted.

The court has directed counsels for all the boards to submit their affidavits by tomorrow and will also take up the matter tomorrow.

Intervention application

Sahai states that many students studying in CBSE ICSE and State Board approached her for issues they are facing regarding the Board Exams. Seeking physical examinations amid a raging pandemic is against public interest and against the interest of the State itself, she says.

In the plea, Sahai further points out that nearly 16 lakh student, teaching and non-teaching staff stand the risk of being infected if physical examinations are conducted.

"The applicant states that by conducting the exam, 16 lakh students will be directly exposed to the possibility of getting infected. It also needs to be noted that the students and the teaching, non-teaching staff, and administrative staff will have to be mobilized for the said exercise. The number of individuals thus being exposed for the risk of infection is thus huge."

She states that the CBSE Board has already decided to release results based on an "objective criterion" developed by the Board. The State is also evolving criteria for the assessment of students.

Thus, Sahai says in the application, there is a consensus of thought and decision of all the education boards that it will be in the children's interest that the examinations are cancelled and an alternative criterion is evolved for assessment of the students.

"The applicant further states that they have conducted a survey of board students with the help of some teachers and social workers regarding the mode of exam to be adopted by Govt and many students and parents took part in the same. Around 85.4% are in favour of Internal Assessment, and 11.6% are in favour of online exam."

[Dhananjay Kulkarni vs Union of India and others]