Re-conduct AIPMT exam by August 17: SC to CBSE

The Supreme Court on Friday gave CBSE time till August 17 to conduct and declare the results of All India Pre Medical Test (AIPMT) for medical and dental courses for the year 2015-16.

A vacation bench of Justice R.K. Agrawal and Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre extended time till August 17 after Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the court that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) needed three months time to re-conduct the examination, citing various logistical difficulties including availability of 1,050 examination centre and invigilators.

Also telling the court that CBSE needed time to prepare the question papers, he said that due to summer vacations, teachers were on leave and there were practical difficulties in conducting the exam in four weeks time as ordered by the court by its June 15 order.

As Rohatgi said that normally CBSE needed nearly seven months time to conduct the exam and was was seeking three months time only, the court observed that in the "past everything was done in one month. We are living in an era of technology and everything is possible now".

He said that besides 1,050 examination centres all over the country, the CBSE needed teachers, invigilators and security forces for the conduct of the examination.

The court by its June 15 order had cancelled the AIPMT examination held on May 3 following the leak of the question paper and circulation of the answer keys through electronic devices across 10 states in the country, observing that the exam was rendered "futile by a handful of elements seeking to reap undue financial gain by subjecting the process to their evil manoeuvres".

While ordering the re-conduct of the examination, the court had noted that on previous occasions, "such type of examination had been held anew within a period of one month".