Don't postpone reappear exams, all measures in place: CBSE tells SC

The CBSE on Friday opposed in the Supreme Court a plea for postponement of reappear exams for Class 10 and 12, telling the court that all health safety measures are in place for holding the exams this month amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The CBSE's counsel said that the number of examination centres has been increased from 575 to 1,278, and that only 12 students will sit in a classroom for reappear exams in view of the social distance norm.

During the hearing, a bench comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari, and Sanjiv Khanna queried the petitioner if the postponement of the examinations will help the students.

The bench also queried if there was any other methodology contemplated by the CBSE for the exams.

The CBSE's counsel said that a notification for the reappear exams is likely to be issued soon and the exams held in September. The CBSE reiterated that it is taking all precautions in view of Covid-19.

The bench posted the matter for further hearing on September 10 and asked the CBSE to file its response on the plea filed by Anika Samvedi, wherein the CBSE said on August 4 that it will not cancel the exams.

"It is submitted that the petitioners have approached this court to seek directions to the CBSE to ensure that the petitioners and other students of Class 10 and 12 compartment category are not forced to appear in the compartment examinations during the peak of COVID-19," the plea read.

More than 1.5 lakh students of Class 10 and 87,651 students of Class 12 are scheduled to sit in the CBSE reappear exams.