CBSE, ICSE Term 1 Exams: Students demand exams in hybrid mode; File plea in SC

The students are against offline-only mode for Class 10 and Class 12 term 1 exams. Seeking direction to conduct the term 1 exams in hybrid mode - a mix of both online and offline, the students have now appealed in the Apex Court.

#CancelBoardExams: Students of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) have filed a plea in the Supreme Court of India against the conduct of Class 10, 12 term-1 board exams. According to the plea, the students are against offline-only mode for Class 10 and Class 12 term 1 exams. Seeking direction to conduct the term 1 exams in hybrid mode - a mix of both online and offline, the students have now appealed in the Apex Court.

The CISCE which conducts the ICSE Class 10th and ISC Class 12th annual exams will begin the term 1 exam from November 15, while the CBSE 10^th and CBSE 12^th term 1 exam will commence for minor papers from November 16.

Students worried about getting infected with the COVID-19 virus have appealed regarding the conduct of board exams in hybrid mode, i.e. both online and offline. The plea filed by the Class 10, 12 students state, “Exams for major subjects in December 2021 are spread over three weeks, placing the petitioners in great apprehension on the risk of infection and the impact on subsequent exams. Preceding the exams for major subjects in December 2021 are the exams for Minor subjects in November 2021 in physical mode, further aggravating the likelihood of turning the exams for Major subjects into a Super Spreader Event.”

Calling it the violation of ‘Right to Health’ the plea filed by six students through Advocate Sumanth Nookala says that continuous exposure through offline exams will "sharply" increase the risk of Covid infection.

The plea further adds, “At any rate, such continuous exposure through offline exams sharply increases the risk of infection to Covid 19 rendering the impugned action as arbitrary and in violation of Right to Health.”

Calling the online mode of exams a ‘safe’ mode to conduct exams as it will facilitate social distancing, and will reduce strain on logistical constraints, the petitioners also argued that taking students’ consent to conduct exams without giving a valid choice is not right and should not happen. “Many students have reported that consent is being secured by resorting to misrepresentation and coercion,” the plea added.

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