The Supreme Court has asked state boards to notify their respective schemes for assessment for the cancelled Class 12 physical exams within 10 days and declare results by July 31.
"We're passing General order for all boards. We direct the Boards that schemes be formulated and notifies in 10 days from today and also declare the internal assessment results by 31st July, like timeline specified for CBSE and ICSE", a vacation bench comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari ordered.
The Supreme Court also observed that it was not possible to have a uniform scheme of assessment for all state boards. "We are not going to direct uniform scheme. Each board is different and autonomous. We cannot direct uniform scheme across India," the bench said.
The court was hearing a PIL filed by Advocate Anubha Srivastava seeking cancellation of state board exams. While several state boards have announced the cancellation of Class 12 exams, six have already conducted Class 12 exams. Andhra Pradesh is the only state which is yet to hold the Class 12 exams or to announce its cancellation. The Andhra Pradesh government told the Supreme Court that it is proposing to hold the exams tentatively in the last week of July. The government has said that it will allow only 15 students at each exam hall and all Covid guidelines will be followed.
The apex court, however, issued a stern warning to the Andhra Pradesh government over its decision to conduct class 12 exams in July-end and said that for nearly five lakh exam takers, around 35,000 exam halls required to accomodate 15 students per hall.
The bench asked Advocate Mahfooz Nazki, reprsenting state government that if the state government has the required exam halls for the students. "The Commitment that you are making...we are not convinced with that. 15 students in one room, you will need 35000 rooms," the bench observed.
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