HYDERABAD: Saying that the lives of the students cannot be jeopardised, a division bench of the Telangana High Court on Saturday directed the State government not to conduct the SSC examination in Hyderabad and Secunderabad districts, and all Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) areas amid the rising Covid cases.
“The lives of the students cannot be jeopardised, considering the fact that Coronavirus is only on the increase... There is no indication that the Coronavirus cases are going to decrease in its magnitude and amplitude... To force the students to take the exams in such a situation would be to play with their lives,” the bench observed.
HC asks TS to consider promoting students
As per the court directions, those students, who cannot take the exam as per the schedule, would be allowed to write the advanced supplementary examination in August/September if the situation improves by then. They would be considered as ‘regular students’, it said. It, however, permitted the government to hold the examination in other districts of the State as per the revised schedule i.e. from June 8 to July 5. The students in the districts can choose not to write the exam now and can appear for the advanced supplementary exams in August/September.
The bench said the State government would publicise this widely through print and electronic media so that parents and students do not panic. The government is also required to review the situation on a weekly basis, and if need be, postpone the examinations in any other area, which emerges as a Covid-19 hotspot, it noted. The bench made it clear that the students, who are residents of other parts of the State but are studying in Hyderabad/Secunderabad or the GHMC areas in other districts, should not be required to write the exam now.
The bench, comprising Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy, passed this order in the PIL filed by M Bala Krishna, faculty at a private educational institution in Hyderabad, who sought the postponement of the SSC examination. At one stage, it questioned the State government as to who would be responsible if any of the students gets infected and dies of Covid-19.
It asked the Telangana government why it did not promote the Class X students to Class XI based on their internal exam scores, like Punjab and Maharashtra did. Replying to a query from the bench, State Advocate General (AG) BS Prasad informed the court that as per the government’s decision, the students who cannot appear for the exam now, would be allowed to take the advanced supplementary examination and they would be considered as regular candidates for this year only.
He also submitted a letter by Special Chief Secretary to Education Chitra Ramchandran, along with documents showing the number of schools/colleges earmarked for conducting the exams. The petitioner’s counsel, K Pavan Kumar, submitted that 60 per cent of the parents are not willing to let their wards go to school. To this, the AG said the government has already given its undertaking regarding the precautions being taken, including the twin cities and GHMC areas. It is very difficult to hold supplementary examinations for a large number of students, he highlighted. Preparations are already made and the examinations should be permitted to be held simultaneously, he urged the court. The bench adjourned the case to June 19.