CBSE Class 10, 12 private students continue to demand exam cancellation
CBSE Class 10 and Class 12 improvement/compartment/private/patrachar students continue to fight for cancellation of exams, even though the board has informed the Supreme Court that it will conduct exams from August 25 onwards. Earlier, in an official notification, the CBSE board had informed that the exams for private/improvement/compartment/patrachar students will be conducted between August 16 to September 15. However, the big question remains, will students be able to apply for higher admissions with a delay in the conduct of exams and declaration of results?
To this, the CBSE in its official release had said it is working in synchronisation with the University Grants Commission (UGC) for higher admission of private/compartment/private/patrachar students.
Other than for higher admissions, several CBSE students have also come forward with reasons as serious as COVID-19. In an earlier conversation with India TV, CBSE Exam Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj had said the board has not been apprised of any COVID-related cases among the students. However, now several students have said it would be challenging for them to appear for exams with cases of coronavirus in their families.
Sharing their medical documents, some CBSE students have claimed they have tested positive for COVID-19 in the recent past, or are in a situation that requires isolation.
Taking to Twitter, a CBSE private student said she and her family had tested positive for COVID-19 in April this year and now they step out only when absolutely essential. Her parents are now worried over the thought of sending her to the exam centre, she said.
CBSE private student cites COVID-related issues 
Another student, stating concerns from his family, said his mother and sister have tested positive for coronavirus and so he needs to stay back home to take care of them. Moreover, he would also pose a risk for other students appearing to write exams, he said.
Expressing his grievances, another CBSE private student said he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the past months, which has damaged his lungs. The student said he is on medication and his family won't allow him to travel for exams. The student also shared his medical reports supporting his statement.
Some students also claimed they have sent a mail to the CBSE board with their medical documents, however, have not received any response on how things will be managed.
Tagging lawyers and activists, another student said he has lost his father to COVID-19 and so is finding it difficult to come to terms with the situation.
CBSE private students' matter: Is there an alternative way?
Meanwhile, with students pointing out COVID-related issues, parents and students are now requesting the board to conduct online exams. Several students have claimed it is not suitable for them to travel to the examination centres, owing to coronavirus and flood-like situations in several states and districts.
However, CBSE has refrained from addressing the queries related to online exams for students and has maintained the examinations will be conducted in offline mode. The date sheet for the exams will be released as and when prepared, the board had said.
Other issues highlighted by CBSE private students
CBSE private students say they are being treated indifferently. Board examinations for regular students from Class 10 and Class 12 were cancelled this year and now the private students want the board to consider them as well. The basic concern here is the admission for higher studies. Students say they would miss the admission deadlines across colleges and universities, by the time the board declares the result.
By now, a number of colleges and universities have begun entrance exams and students have shared emails wherein they have been denied admissions, due to lack of documents. Students claim they are being denied admissions as they are yet to appear for CBSE exams.
A similar situation had prevailed even last year when the COVID-19 pandemic had put the future of many students at risk. Several colleges and universities across the country had already ended their admission process by the time the results were declared.
Hence, CBSE private students are now demanding intervention by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and say their exams should be cancelled. However, Sanyam Bhardwaj, Controller of Examinations, CBSE, earlier told reporters that the exams would be conducted in a synchronised manner and that students would not miss out on the university admission process.
Bhardwaj also claimed the board lacks appropriate data to promote private students.
“Since these students are only registered for exams, they are not evaluated for internal assessments or projects. Regular students are being promoted based on all the assessments conducted throughout the year and past two years’ performance,” Sanyam Bhardwaj said in a statement.
CBSE private students' matter: Recent order by the Supreme Court
Last week, the top court asked all schools affiliated with the CBSE board, to publish detailed results of Class 12 and 10 students tabulated by the Results Committee to enable students to decide if they should opt for the improvement exams to be held between August 16 and September 15. This came following a petition by the Association of Private Schools of Uttar Pradesh, who sought early dates for holding the improvement examination and declaration of results
The plea also sought directions to the CBSE to refund the ₹1,500 exam fee charged from each student since no examinations were held.
The two examination boards, CBSE and CISCE, submitted a tentative schedule for the improvement exams.
The CBSE said on August 10, its portal will open for registration of candidates -- for improvement, patrachar and private candidates of classes 10 and 12 - and a circular will be issued, declaring the date sheet for exams. The examinations would begin on August 25 and the last paper will be held on September 15. It will declare results on September 30, the CBSE told the court.
For ICSE candidates, the registration will begin on August 4 and it will declare a detailed examination schedule by August 5 or 6. On August 16, the improvement examination will commence and the results for the improvement examinations shall be declared around September 20.
The CBSE told the court that the results of the improvement examination will be declared by September 30, while the Council for Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) plans to release the same around September 20.
The association then asked the two boards to consider announcing the results by September 20 due to college admissions and entrance examinations such as JEE, NEET. The court accepted the schedules provided by the two boards and refused to advance the dates.
CBSE counsel Rupesh Kumar said the examination will be conducted for three categories of students; those who apply for correction of results through dispute resolution mechanism, compartment candidates, and private, correspondence or second chance compartment candidates.
CBSE matter: The background
CBSE enrolled nearly 14.5 lakh students for Class 12 this year as compared to CISCE which had over one lakh students. After the government decided to cancel the examinations this year, the board came out with an evaluation scheme by which Class 12 students were to be assessed based on a 30:30:40 ratio.
This formula took the best of three subject marks of Class X Boards (30 per cent), annual results of Class 11 (30 per cent) and pre-boards or internal assessment conducted during Class 12 (40 per cent).
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