CAA violence: HC asks CBSE to decide on rescheduling north-east Delhi board exam or shift centre

Safety of children cannot be put at risk, the Delhi High Court said Tuesday and asked the CBSE to decide at the earliest on rescheduling Wednesday's board exam at one of the centres in the north-east 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.

The court will hear the matter again on Wednesday morning.

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.

They said it was hard for them to reach at the Centre due to violent clashes and riots in area which have claimed 10 lives so far.

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 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 school, in the petition, said around 550 students in class X and XII are registered with it for taking the board examination.

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.