Published 12:39 IST, February 26th 2020
HC tells CBSE to decide on northeast Delhi board exams in one go, not on piecemeal basis
Delhi HC ordered CBSE to inform students having board examination centres in violence-hit northeast Delhi in one go about the schedule & not on piecemeal basis
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said class 10 and 12 students who have board examination centres in violence-hit northeast Delhi need to be informed in one go about the schedule for the next 10-15 days and not on a piecemeal basis. The direction by the court came after the CBSE on Wednesday said that the exams in 86 schools in the violence-hit northeast Delhi have been postponed.
A Bench of Justice Rajiv Shakdar was hearing a petition seeking a direction to change the examination center for students undertaking class 10 and 12 CBSE examination. The court was hearing a plea by a private school, Bhai Parmanand Vidya Mandir at Surya Niketan in East Delhi, and some of its class X and XII students saying the center allotted to them by the CBSE was 16 km away from their school and situated in Chandu Nagar-Karawal Nagar road, one of the violence-hit areas.
Justice Rajiv Shakdher said the situation in northeast Delhi is getting worse and there have been more deaths and, therefore, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) needs to take a call for the next 10-15 days. The court also asked the CBSE to come with instructions about a long-term plan at 2.15 pm.
Plea by Bhai Parmanand Vidya Mandir
Bhai Parmanand Vidya Mandir in their plea stated that it is "absolutely impossible to even think of approaching the examination centre, much less reaching there in time to take their exams. The situation is so grim and precarious that the students had to rush outside the school from the back gate and a girl child reported her horrible experience of having been stalked and chased by an armed mob."
The Registrar General of the high court informed the judge that as per the inputs of police officials of the concerned area, the situation is tense. The court said it was looking at the issue from the aspect of children's safety which cannot be put at risk.
The plea, filed through advocate Kamal Gupta, said the "violent clashes and riots have posed a serious threat and danger to the life of the students and their parents, in as much as they have no option but to reach the centre come what may be the situation of the area around the centre; reaching the centre not only involves mental agony, trauma and stress for the students and their parents but also poses grave and palpable threat to the life and limb".
CBSE postpones exam
On Tuesday, CBSE in an official notice announced that the Board Exams for classes 10th and 12th to be held on February 26 have been postponed. CBSE has also released the complete set of schools and centres that will be affected under this notice. Sisodia took to Twitter to announce that all schools in the violence-affected North-East district will remain closed tomorrow as well.
(with agencies input)
Updated 12:39 IST, February 26th 2020