Assam students move Supreme Court seeking cancellation of board exams
The relief has been sought through an application seeking intervention and direction in the writ petition (WP (C) 620 of 2021) filed earlier before the apex court.
From Our Correspondent
GUWAHATI:
Students under Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC) and Board of Secondary Education Assam (SEBA) have approached the Supreme Court of India seeking directions for the cancellation of the Class XII and Class X Board Examinations.
The relief has been sought through an application seeking intervention and direction in the writ petition (WP (C) 620 of 2021) filed earlier before the apex court.
The application stated that the COVID-19 positivity rate in Assam on July 1, 2021, would have no relevance in mid-July-August when the examinations are proposed to be conducted.
Meanwhile, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had recently announced that the exams will be cancelled, if the positivity rate in the state remained above 2 per cent on July 1, 2021.
“The positivity rate data is very dynamic in nature, which has the potential to increase or decrease exponentially within the span of less than 24 hours,” the application stated.
Advocates Abhishek Choudhary, Prabhu Prassana Behera, Ritika Ritu, Abhishek Patnaik and Nabab Singh are representing the students.
The applicants further argued that to ensure the safety of physical as well as mental health of the students and to secure equality among the students of various boards, “it is just, reasonable and equitable that the state board exams in Assam are cancelled.”
“Classification sought to be made in the present case between CBSE, CISE and other state board students on one hand and the students of SEBA and AHSEC on the other is prima facie irrational, unreasonable and is bad in law on the ground of violation of basic feature of our Constitution, namely, the principles of equality enshrined under Article 14 of our Constitution,” the application stated.
Commenting on the developments in Assam, advocate Abhishek Choudhary said that the health and safety of all students, irrespective of the education board they belong to, are of utmost importance and should be protected at any cost.
While several states have cancelled or deferred their board examinations, Assam is yet to take a final call regarding the same.
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