The Supreme Court, on Monday (April 08), intervened by staying the Karnataka High Court’s decision to conduct board exams for students in 5th, 8th, 9th, and 11th standards, affiliated with the State Board. The Court directed that the results of these exams be withheld and not communicated to parents until further notice.
Justices Bela Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal described the state government’s actions as causing distress to students, parents, teachers, and school management. The decision came in response to petitions filed by the Registered Unaided Private Schools Management Association Karnataka and others, challenging the state’s decision to hold these exams.
The Court criticized the hurried manner in which the exams were conducted and the lack of opportunity given to petitioners to challenge the decision in the Apex Court. It also noted the Karnataka School Policy Accreditation Council’s directive to schools to publish evaluation results abruptly.
The Court stayed the High Court’s order, expressing doubts about its compliance with the Right to Education Act.
Notice was issued to the state government, returnable in two weeks. The order suspends the operation of the High Court’s order and any subsequent orders by the State’s Accreditation Council until further directives.
The Supreme Court’s intervention followed the Karnataka High Court’s decision on March 22, which allowed the state’s appeal to conduct the remaining assessments for classes 5, 8, and 9, and resume the process for class 11 exams.
This decision came after the High Court stayed a single bench judgment on March 7, which had quashed the government’s decision to hold board exams for these classes.
The Supreme Court had earlier set aside this interim order, urging expedited resolution of the main appeals.
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