CBSE Class 12, 10 Exams Cancelled, Board Informs SC; ICSE Follows Suit

The remaining examinations for classes 10 and 12 scheduled between July 1 and 15 stand cancelled, the Ministry of Human Resources Development and the Central Board of Secondary Education informed the Supreme Court on Thursday. The Supreme Court had sought a response from the government on a plea seeking scrapping of CBSE board exams for class 12 given the spread of COVID-19 across the country.

Following suit, the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), too, cancelled the pending ICSE and ISC exams. The CISCE will grade students based on the pattern of internal assessments, the MHRD informed the apex court.

Meanwhile, the Court has asked the Centre and the CBSE to issue fresh notifications regarding the class 12 examinations clarifying on the issue of option between internal assessment and exam, status of state board exams and date of results. The bench will pass its order on the matter on Friday.

The Ministry will issue a notification in this regard on Friday.

The top court had deferred the hearing on Tuesday to June 25 after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing on behalf of the Centre and CBSE, submitted that discussions on the matter were at an advanced stage and that a decision will be taken by Wednesday evening.

The petitioners, represented by advocate Rishi Malhotra, had sought an early hearing on Thursday.

The parents have said in the plea that students could be exposed to Covid-19 infection if they appear for exams amid an increase in the number of coronavirus cases.

They have cited that the CBSE has cancelled the examinations of Class 10 and 12 for its around 250 schools situated abroad and the board has decided to award marks on the basis of either practical exams or an internal assessment because of the pandemic.

The CBSE had decided the fresh schedule of board exams from July 1-15 to ensure that they are completed before competitive examinations. While engineering entrance exam JEE-Mains is scheduled from July 18-23, medical entrance exam NEET is to be held on July 26.