Why is State harassing students? Supreme Court slams Karnataka over half-yearly 'board' exams

The Supreme Court on Monday took exception to the Karnataka government conducting half-yearly board exams in schools [Registered Unaided Private Schools Management Association Karnataka v. State of Karnataka and Others].

A Bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma stayed the declaration of results of these exams till further orders, but not before questioning the State's motives.

Justice Sharma weighed in, saying,

"There is no such half-yearly board exam in my State. This cannot happen. If you are really wishing for betterment of students, then open good schools and more where teaching and education is at best. Why are you doing all of this? Somebody is definitely making it an ego issue".

The top court had in April this year stayed the Karnataka High Court order that had upheld the State's decision to conduct "board examinations" for classes 5,8, 9 and 11 of schools affiliated to the Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB).

The High Court had, in its March 22 judgment, accepted the State's contention that the examinations cannot be viewed as "board exams" in the conventional sense, and dismissed petitions challenging its conduct.

The Karnataka government recently informed the Supreme Court that the State's notifications to hold the board examinations in three rural districts have been withdrawn.

Interestingly, the Central government's second senior most law officer, Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, appeared for the Congress-ruled State.

Advocates KV Dhananjay, A Velan, Ananya Krishna, Sainath DM and Dheeraj SJ represented the appellants before the top court.

They informed the Court that the notification had been withdrawn with respect to seven districts only, and not for tenth standard students.

"24 districts are yet to be withdrawn, just because we didn't allege it, they have not taken any step."

The Bench then proceeded to pass its orders, remarking that these facts should have been brought to its notice earlier.

The State government submitted that there had been a drop in marks of students, necessitating the move.

"State wishes to file counter affidavit. Time granted. We direct the respondent shall not declare the results of half-yearly board exams taken of 8th 9th and 10th, of taken, for any of districts of state till further orders", the Bench noted in its order.