Live! CBSE, ISC Class 12 Board exams 2021: CBSE, ISC 12th Board exams cancelled

A petition was filed to cancel Class 12 board exams and instead mark the students on internal assessment. The PM today decided to cancel the CBSE 12th exams 2021.

The Supreme Court had adjourned the hearing of the plea seeking cancellation of CBSE Class 12, ISC Class 12 examinations to June 3. It adjourned the hearing after the Centre sought two days to announce its decision on CBSE 12th exams, ISC exams 2021. The apex court said that if the government is not cancelling the examinations then it must give "tangible reasons" for it. It also said that it will examine the Centre's decision, hence, the adjournment. However, in a meeting with PM on June 1, the minister decided to cancel the Class 12th board exams 2021 amid the ongoing pandemic condition.

Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari heard the petition on May 31.

LIVE  UPDATES

• 8 pm: ISC 12th Exams cancelled, announces Board Secretary Gerry Arathoon
• 7:10 pm: CBSE Class 12 results will be made as per well-defined objective criteria in a time-bound manner.
• 7 pm: PM decides to cancel the CBSE 12th exams 2021
• 5:30 pm: PM to decide on the conduct of CBSE 12th exams soon
• 11:30 am: Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal to announce the decision on CBSE 12th exams on June 3 

May 31, 2021

• 11:13 am: The Supreme Court has now adjourned the hearing of the Class 12th board exam matter until June 3 after the Centre asked the same.

• 11:11 am: Supreme Court says that if the Government is not cancelling exams, it must give "tangible reasons". The court will examine the matter once the Centre decides on the Class 12 board exams

• 11:10 am: "You are free to take whatever decision. But there is hope expressed by Petitioner that policy adopted last year can be adopted this year," says the Bench. "If Government is departing from last year decision then give tangible reasons." 
• 11:08 am: Lawyer AG Venugopal informs the apex court that the Centre is seeking 2 days for the final decision on Class 12 examinations
• 11:06 am: SC begins hearing the plea seeking Class 12 exams cancellation

This is the second date of the hearing for the petition seeking cancellation of Class 12 board exams amid the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic. The plea was heard by the top court on May 28 by Justice AM Khanwilkar led bench. The court on May 28 said that the CBSE, the ICSE and the Centre should be represented in the hearing.

A Delhi-based lawyer Mamta Sharma filed a petition saying that the notifications issued by ICSE and CBSE postponing Class 12 exams to an unspecified date be struck down. Instead, the exams should be scrapped altogether for this academic year and marks be computed using the methodology employed last year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, she urged.

“In view of the unprecedented health emergency and rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country, the conduct of examination (either offline/online/blended) in upcoming weeks is not possible and delay in the examination will cause irreparable loss to the students as time is the essence in taking admission in higher education courses in foreign universities,” the plea said.

After a high-level meeting held on May 23 chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the state governments had submitted their detailed suggestions on the proposal to conduct Class 12 exams by May 25. Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ had said that the Centre will take a decision soon and announce it at the earliest keeping students’ safety in mind. It is expected that the decision on Class 12 board examinations will be announced by June 1.

Earlier, more than 500 students had filed a plea in the apex court saying that the conduct of Class 12 board exams in offline mode will be “irrational, unjust and unfair".

Read More:

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• Download CBSE 12th question papers for better practice