SC puts a pause on Karnataka HC's ruling to cancel exams for classes 5, 8, and 9
The Supreme Court has intervened, halting board exams for classes 5, 8, and 9 until further notice. Legal disputes arose following government circulars, with the Divisional Bench of the High Court initially allowing exams but later overruled by the Supreme Court. The state government advocates for exams aligned with the curriculum.
FollowSupreme Court has intervened in the ongoing issue surrounding the board exams for classes 5, 8, and 9, directing a stay until further notice. The decision comes following a series of legal manoeuvres initiated by various educational institutions. The issue first came to light when the government's circular regarding the conduct of board exams for the mentioned classes was blocked by the Supreme Court. This action followed an appeal to the highest judicial body by the Karnataka government, challenging an order issued by the Divisional Bench of the High Court.
Registered Unaided Private Schools Management Association (RUPSA) and several educational institutions filed an appeal contesting the Divisional Bench's decision. This move led to a subsequent order from the Supreme Court's Divisional Bench. Initially, the Karnataka High Court, represented by a single-member bench, had nullified the government's circular, effectively halting the proposed board exams. However, the Divisional Bench overruled this decision, paving the way for the examinations to proceed.
Karnataka govt files urgent appeal to HC after order cancelling Class 5, 8, 9, and 11 board exams
The legal tug-of-war continued as the Supreme Court intervened once again, staying the Divisional Bench's order. This development meant that the board exams would remain suspended until the Divisional Bench heard the complete arguments of the petition and delivered its final verdict. Justice Bela Trivedi and Justice Pankaj Mittal presided over the latest proceedings, announcing a temporary halt to the board exams pending the Divisional Bench's final decision on the appeal petition.
State Government's Position
The government maintained that the question papers for the examinations would align with the learning recovery (Kalika Chetarike) program, a component of the curriculum aimed at enhancing learning outcomes among students. Officials emphasized that the program was designed to complement the existing syllabus and did not deviate from it.
Karnataka HC announces cancellation of board exams for Classes 5,8,9 and 11
Karnataka High Court's Decision
A bench led by Justice Ravi Hosamani, which was hearing the case, overturned the government's notification. The court ruled in favour of the arguments presented by the private school management, endorsing their stance that board examinations for these classes should not be mandatory and should instead be administered at the school level.
The legal battle echoes earlier disputes over the introduction of board-level assessments for Classes 5 and 8. Last year, the Karnataka High Court invalidated circulars issued by the Education Department proposing board-level assessments for these grades. Despite subsequent modifications to the proposals, challenges persisted.
