NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday in its order on Tuesday stayed the Karnataka board examinations, currently being held in across State schools, for the students of classes 5,8,9 and 11.
The apex court's two-judge bench, headed by Justice Bela M Trivedi and also comprising Justice Pankaj Mithal, today passed the order after hearing an appeal filed by the Registered Unaided Private Schools Management Association (RUPSMA) in Karnataka against the State of Karnataka.
The RUPSMA had filed an appeal in the SC against an order of a division bench of the Karnataka High Court that had allowed the State to hold board examinations for students of classes 5, 8, 9, and 11 in schools affiliated with the State's Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEB).
"The said examinations held pursuant to the notification deemed illegal by single-judge, should not have been held, affecting the exam system and the career of the students. Needless to clarify that the exams shall not be proceeded with further," the bench of the top court today said, in its order.
The High Court divison bench had stayed a March 6 order passed by a single-judge staying the board examinations.
Senior Advocate Devadatt Kamat, appearing for the Karnataka govt, argued before the top court that the exams which are being held for classes 5,8, 9 and 11 in schools are not board examinations in the strictest sense but only a 'summative assessment' and we can say that the students are not required to pass.
He also made it clear to the apex court that the State government scheme is devised in sich a way that that no school student can be detained based on this examination. He said that this examination will assess them only on their educational Qualification sense.
After hearing these submissions from Kamat, the curious judges asked him, what is the purpose of this exam and what would it serve, to which Kamat replied that it prepares students academically and also ensure that they would be able to face the actual board exam later.
Kamat pointed out that the HC's single-judge order staying the exams was patently illegal as the State is the competent authority to conduct summative assessments which is a policy matter of the govt.