[Class 12 Exams] High Powered Committee will devise assessment scheme in 10 days, declare results before July 31: Andhra Pradesh to Supreme Court

The Andhra Pradesh (AP) government on Friday told the Supreme Court that it has decided to cancel class 12 State Board exams in view of COVID-19 pandemic. .Senior Counsel Dushyant Dave, representing the State government, also submitted that a high-powered committee will be constituted by the State, which will devise an assessment scheme in ten days for computing marks of students. Results for class 12 students will be declared before July 31, he said. "In ten days we will have a High Powered Committee which will devise the assessment scheme and declare the results before July 31. If we had held the exam then the results would have gone to August," Dave said. When entire country is in one direction we have no reason to go separate way, Dave added. .Dave was referring to the initial reluctance of the AP government to cancel the exams though all other States had done so. This stance by the AP government had come in for criticism by the Supreme Court which had, on Thursday, said that it will not allow the Andhra Pradesh government to conduct Class 12 State Board exams unless it is convinced that the exams for 5.20 lakh students can be held without any fatality amid the COVID-19 pandemic.The Court after hearing Dave's submissions on Friday disposed of the case. "We take on record the statement made across the bar. Notification is being issued shortly. Nothing more is required to be done in this case. We reiterate our earlier directions to the state boards to declare their results before July 31, 2021, in line with ICSE and CBSE policy. Since the respective states have cancelled the exams we don't wish to examine any other issues raised in the plea. All other intervention applications to be disposed of," the Court ordered. .The top court was hearing a plea by child rights activist Anubha Shrivastava Sahai and seven others on behalf of students from different states and Union territories seeking to cancel all state board exams in line with CBSE and ICSE decision.In their plea, the petitioners told the apex court that more than 10 million students studying in Class 12 in state boards across the country are uncertain about their future as the respective State boards have postponed the decision to conduct or scrap the exams..It was informed though most of the States have already conducted or cancelled the class 12 exams, some were left to do so. States of Assam, Tripura and Punjab later informed the top court that they have cancelled Class 12 State Board exams in view of the ongoing COVID-19 situation..[Class 12 Exams amid COVID-19] Assam, Tripura, Punjab tell Supreme Court they have cancelled Class 12 State Board exams.However, only state of Andhra Pradesh was left to cancel the class 12 examinations. ."Unless we are convinced, we will not allow you to conduct State board exams for Class 12:" Supreme Court to Andhra Pradesh.Thereafter, Supreme Court on Thursday said that it will not allow the Andhra Pradesh government to conduct Class 12 State Board exams unless it is convinced that the exams for 5.20 lakh students can be held without any fatality amid the COVID-19 pandemic."Unless we are convinced that you are prepared to conduct exam without any fatality, till then we will not allow it. Wwhen others have cancelled you cannot hold it to show you are different," said Justice Khanwilkar.Justice Maheswari added,"We are not here for counselling. We know as a responsible government, you are concerned about health and safety of students and staff. If there is a conscious decision, then where is that file and who took that decision? What was the background? It is not the question of exam but health and safety of all.".[BREAKING] Andhra Pradesh govt cancels State Board exams for classes 10 and 12; says not feasible to hold exam as per Supreme Court stipulations.Shortly thereafter, AP Education Minister Adimulku Suresh said the exams were being canceled as it would not be possible to conduct and evaluate the exams within the time stipulated by the Supreme Court order.The State government also stated that the marking assessment scheme for class 12 students will be as prescribed by the top court..[Read Order]