Delhi HC directs CBSE to take a call over board exams in violence-hit Chandu Nagar

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to make a decision on the board examination centre at a school in violence-hit Chandu Nagar area of the national capital.

A bench of Justice Rajiv Shakdar slated the matter for further hearing on Wednesday.

The court observed that prima facie it appears that exams cannot be held in Chandu Nagar area given the inputs provided by the SHO and said that the CBSE should keep this factor in mind while taking any decision in the matter.

It was hearing a petition filed by a school in Chandu Nagar area seeking directions to the CBSE to change the board examination centre for Class 10 and 12 to another school due to "violent clashes and riots" taking place in the area.

The CBSE told the court that it was going to take a decision in the matter within a couple of hours adding that the safety and security of the children is the prime concern for the education board.

The petition, filed by Bhai Parmanand Vidya Mandir and parents of some of the students, said that the CBSE allowed an examination centre for class 10 and 12 students of the petitioner school 16 km away from it.

"As per the general conditions of examinations issued by the CBSE, the centre has to be located within 10 km and is generally, by and large, allotted within 5-6 km to every school, keeping in mind the convenience of the parents who have to make their own arrangements to drop their children to the examination centre," it said.

The plea said that the school wrote to the Controller of Examinations of the CBSE on several occasions and forwarding the complaints and requests of several parents seeking a change of examination centre but did not receive any response.

"The current and latest violent clashes and riots that have taken place at the said area have made it absolutely impossible for the students to be even reaching the examination centre for taking the examinations," it added.