Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh board exams 2021: Latest updates (representational)
Karnataka, AP board exams 2021: The Supreme Court of India on June 21 heard different petitions on the issue of Class 12 board exams, including a plea challenging the assessment criteria set by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), and another for the cancellation of CBSE Class 12 exams for compartment and private candidates. During the hearing, the top court also took note of the situation in different states, including Andhra Pradesh, which is keen to conduct both Class 10 and 12 board exams and Karnataka, which had cancelled PUC 2 or Class 12 exams but wants to hold SSLC or Class 10 exams in a reduced format. Get quick latest updates about 12th board exams through SMS/E-mail. Click here to Subscribe.
Read || ‘If There Is One Fatality...': Supreme Court Warns Andhra Pradesh About Board Exams
The counsel for the Karnataka government said the state government has cancelled Class 12 board exam but no final decision has been taken as far as Class 10 examination is concerned.
Advocate Mahfooz Nazki, who appeared for Andhra Pradesh, said that the state government has decided to conduct the examination as the Covid-19 situation is better in the state.
The top court will hear the matter again tomorrow, June 22, at 2 pm.
Tripura, Assam and Punjab governments have decided to scrap their Class 12 board exams, the court was informed.
On June 17, during a CBSE hearing, the Supreme Court had issued notice to states that were yet to cancel their board exams. The three states had decided to cancel their exams soon after.
Out of 28 states, six states have already conducted the board exams, 18 states have cancelled them, but four states (Assam, Punjab, Tripura and Andhra Pradesh) have not cancelled them as of now, the Supreme Court was told on June 17.
Karnataka 2nd PUC exams were cancelled earlier this month, following CBSE's announcement of Class 12 board exam cancellation. However, the SSLC exams will be held in the third week of July, the state government had said.
“The SSLC exam will have one multi-choice question paper for mathematics, science and social science and one more question paper for languages," Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar had previously said.
As far as the Andhra Pradesh government is concerned, it is firm on its stand of holding these exams.
"Our stand has been the same from the beginning. We want to conduct the examinations only in the interest of the students' future," Education Minister A Suresh had said on June 17, the day when the Supreme Court issued the notice to the states.