Parents of Class XI Students Move Supreme Court Seeking Cancellation of Class XI State Board Examination In Kerala

The Supreme Court of India has been approached by parents of Class XI students from Kerala seeking directions for cancellation of Class XI Examination to be conducted by Kerala State Board on September 6th, 2021, in wake of the Pandemic.

The relief has been sought through an application seeking intervention in the plea filed for cancellation of Class XII State Board Examination in different States, stating that the Class XI students of Kerala are similarly placed like the Class XII students from various States.

The application filed through Advocate Prashant Padmanbahan has stated that after the classes for Plus 2 had already started in the State, the Government suddenly declared that the Plus 1 Examination will also be held, which has adversely affected students' mental health as these marks will be counted for admission in Undergraduate Courses

The applicants have argued that to ensure equality between students of all streams, it is just and reasonable that the Board Exam of Class XI of State of Kerala is cancelled as the CBSE/ICSE class XII board exams are cancelled.

According to the applicants, in Kerala, unlike CBSE or ICSE, the Plus One and Plus Two marks are taken together as qualifying marks for higher studies by the State Government. Therefore the students will be getting only limited time compared to the CBSE and ICSE students to concentrate in their plus One Exams, the marks of which is the turning point in their future.

While highlighting the Apex Court's recent observations regarding Digital Divide in its suo motu case, the applicants have urged the Court to consider situation of the students with no access to network connectivity, thereby making it difficult for them to prepare for the Examination.

The application has stated that it will be inequitable if one set of Boards do not conduct examination whereas State Boards are conducting the examination, as level playing deserves that all the Boards adopt the same standard procedure for assessing students.