CAA clash: Decide on rescheduling Northeast Delhi board exam, HC tells CBSE

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the Central Board of Examination (CBSE) to take decision on changing the examination centre situated in violence-hit area Chandu Nagar in Northeast Delhi where violence related to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act have claimed 10 lives.

Justice Rajiv Shakdher asked the CBSE to take the decision as soon as possible on the exam and convey it to all concerned.

A Bench of Justice Rajiv Shakdar was hearing a petition seeking a direction to change the examination centre for students undertaking class 10 and 12 CBSE examination. The matter is listed for tomorrow.

The court was hearing a plea by private school, Bhai Parmanand Vidya Mandir at Surya Niketan in East Delhi, and some of its class X and XII students saying the centre allotted to them by the CBSE was 16 km away their school and situated in Chandu Nagar-Karawal Nagar road, one of the violence hit areas.

Bhai Parmanand Vidya Mandir stated that it is "absolutely impossible to even think of approaching the examination centre, much less reaching there in time to take their exams."

"The situation is so grim and precarious that the students had to rush outside the school from the back gate and a girl child reported her horrible experience of having been stalked and chased by an armed mob," the plea stated.

They urged the court to direct the CBSE to change the examination centre from New Sandhya Public School to a centre located in east Delhi district with proper infrastructure and security.

Class X students are to appear for English exam on Wednesday, while class XII students have 'Web Application' and 'Media' paper. The school, in the petition, said around 550 students in class X and XII are registered with it for taking the board examination.

The court said it was of a prima facie opinion that the exam cannot be held at the Chandu Nagar Centre in view of the inputs given by the senior police officials.

The Registrar General of the high court informed the judge that as per the inputs of police officials of the concerned area, the situation is tense.

The court said it was looking at the issue from the aspect of children's safety which cannot be put at risk.

The plea, filed through advocate Kamal Gupta, said the "violent clashes and riots have posed a serious threat and danger to the life of the students and their parents, in as much as they have no option but to reach the centre come what may be the situation of the area around the centre; reaching the centre not only involves mental agony, trauma and stress for the students and their parents, but also poses grave and palpable threat to the life and limb".

The plea said when the school had come to know about the Centre allotted to it, they had written to CBSE pointing out that the examination centre is 16 km away from the school and the time taken to reach there is more than 40 minutes.

Several parts of northeast Delhi have been wracked by violence over the past three days. Supporters and opponents of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act have been clashing since Saturday night. Several people have died so far in the violence.