The Calcutta High Court pulled up a reputed South Kolkata school after a Class 10 student was nearly barred from appearing in the ongoing West Bengal Madhyamik examinations due to a name mix-up at the school level. The error occurred because two students at the school shared the same name, Ayan Das, leading the institution to mistakenly forward the details of an ineligible student to the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education, while the eligible candidate was left without an admit card just days before the examination began on February 2.
Taking serious note of the lapse, the court imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on the school and instructed the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) to make urgent arrangements to ensure the student is allowed to appear for the examination.
On Thursday, January 29, Justice Amrita Sinha expressed strong displeasure over the negligence of the reputed Bhawanipore-based school. The court ordered that the student, Ayan Das, be formally enrolled by Friday evening and that the WBBSE issue his admit card on an urgent basis. The Board was also directed to register the student's name upon receiving the prescribed late fee or fine from the school.
The High Court further ordered departmental action against the school official whose negligence led to the student being denied his admit card.
According to sources at the Calcutta High Court, the error occurred as there were two students with the same name, Ayan Das, at the school. One of them failed the mandatory test examination required to appear for the Madhyamik exams. However, the school mistakenly forwarded the name of the ineligible student to the Board, which subsequently issued an admit card in his name.
Meanwhile, the eligible student, who had cleared the test examination, was not registered with the Board and did not receive his admit card even as the examination date approached. His guardians then moved the High Court seeking urgent relief.
During the hearing, the school's counsel admitted to the lapse and stated that once the mistake was discovered, the school immediately approached the WBBSE to correct it. However, the Board reportedly declined to make changes on its online portal at the last minute.
After hearing all parties, the court observed that a student's academic year cannot be jeopardised due to a school's negligence. "This is the first major examination of a student's secondary school life. Denying them the opportunity to appear for the exam due to a mistake by the school would be a grave injustice," the court said.