Bombay HC directs SSC Board to pass girl with learning disability

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education to pass a girl, who was detained in SSC for her failure to obtain minimum marks in an optional subject.

The court observed that students with learning disability deserve sympathy and grace from authorities.

A student named Bhamisha Singh, who appeared for the SSC examination in March 2016, had passed in all the subjects but was detained as she failed to obtain minimum passing marks in Information and Communication Technology, securing 17 out of 50 marks.

The board refused to consider her plea to pass her, saying it did not have powers to extend this facility in the exam. However, the court asked the board to pass her in view of the state's policy which is to extend help to students with special needs or learning disability.

A bench headed by Justices SC Dharmadhikari and Shalini Phansalkar Joshi observed that such students are a part and parcel of the broader concept devised by the state.