SC Agrees To Hear Plea To Cancel CBSE Class 12 Economics Re-Test Or Make It Optional

Supreme Court has agreed to hear tomorrow a petition seeking a direction to CBSE not to hold an Economics paper re-test for class 12 students following the question paper leak.

The petition also says that if at all the test will be held, it should be made optional and not compulsory.

The plea filed by Girija Krishan Varma and Sahil Tagotra, Counsels on behalf of parents- Monica Sharma, Rashmi Arora, and Mahinder Pratap Singh, of CBSE Class 12 students say: “The re-test jeopardizes many futuristic career plans for the Class XIIth Students. Such as:

1. Primarily it jeopardizes the students/examinees career’s as most of the students are preparing for entrance exams to professional courses, that take place soon after the CBSE exams were to be concluded. These entrance exams are the stepping stones for the students/ examinees to become Doctors, Lawyer’s, Architects, Engineers, and many other career paths. The main exams that fall between April to June 2018 are JEE, NEET 2018 (Medical), GATE 2018, CLAT 2018 (Law), NDA 2018, AIIMS 2018, MAT 2018, DU Admission 2018, SNAP and BITSAT exams.


2. For some exams, the students/examinees have still to fill up the forms, applications, get admit cards as well as study for the exams. Most students undergo preparatory courses and need to focus on the entrance exams which has a separate curriculum from the CBSE examinations. Taking a CBSE exam in the midst, on the 25th April 2018, majorly disturbs the student's entire study schedules and can have a long-term impact on their career.


3. Several Students are due to travel abroad to different countries for further studies and explore career options.


4. Some Students are undertaking preparatory and summer training, inters-ships etc. and the economic loss due to the cancellation of travel and recreational plans with entire 3-4 members of the family. Besides putting the students through unnecessary pressure, it also puts them to a disadvantage against students applying for entrance exams and against students from other Countries for international courses.

The re-tests are unnecessarily traumatizing and reprimanding innocent students, whereas it is the CBSE Officials that need to come up with methodologies that inspire confidence in the education system rather than demoralize the students.

“For the students, every minute of the day makes a difference to their studies. The re-tests have disturbed and de-focused them from their ongoing and forthcoming exams. Mentally and physically the students had been attuned to conclude their exams by the mid of April. Throughout the year, the students have been under extreme stress and pressure. As they had to maintain heavy study schedules of almost 12-14 hours a day, to meet the demands of the CBSE Board examination”, it says.

“It is prayed that the Hon’ble Judges need to weigh both sides: On the one hand are a handful / small percentage of students who may have had access to the leaked paper i.e. Economic, just about few hours before the examination, for which the impugned notification was issued by CBSE. On the other hand, are Lakhs of students, a much larger number, from Commerce/ Humanities/ Science stream who are honest and innocent but are being forced to take the re-test in Economics because of the CBSE notification”, it says.

“The latter, larger number of students, are being held to ransom for no mistake of theirs, by taking the re-test.  The Hon’ble Judges may kindly bear in mind the innumerable Entrance exams that are being put to stake, besides the mental trauma and economic loss caused due to the re-tests”, it adds.