Doubtful if board exams can be held in northeast Delhi, come with alternative: HC to CBSE

Taking note of the "worsening situation" in violence-hit northeast district of the national capital, the Delhi High Court said it was doubtful that board exams can be held there and directed CBSE to come up with a plan to re-schedule them or change the affected centres.

Justice Rajiv Shakdher said parents would not want to send their children to that area for the exams as the death toll has gone up and the situation has worsened since Tuesday in north east Delhi.

"Can you hold an exam there tomorrow or day after? I doubt it very much. The exams for tomorrow and day after you will need to postpone. Parents would not want to send their children there," he said.

"In my opinion situation is worsening. It has only worsened since yesterday. The death toll has gone up. Why are you waiting to take a decision till the end of each day," Justice Shakdher added.

The court said the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) needs to take an "immediate" decision by evening regarding changing the centres or postponing the exams of class 10 and 12 which are to be held this week -- on February 27, 28 and 29.

The judge said CBSE should not wait for inputs from the police or the ministry to take a decision.

The court asked the CBSE to come with a plan for holding the re-scheduled exams by keeping in mind the entrance tests of class 12 students which would most likely be held in April.

It also directed the CBSE to inform the public by 6 pm its decision regarding the exams scheduled to be held this week, saying the matter cannot be heard each day on the issue of postponing the exam to be held the next day.

"I cannot keep the matter on a roll. Cannot take it up everyday," the judge said and listed the matter for hearing on February 28.

Earlier in the day, the CBSE had informed the court that the exams to be held in 86 schools in the violence-hit northeast Delhi on Wednesday have been postponed.

It also said that a decision regarding Thursday's exams would be taken by evening.

Disagreeing with CBSE's methodology, the court said class 10 and 12 students, who have board examination centres in north east Delhi need to be informed in one go about the schedule for the next few days and not on piecemeal basis.

At least 22 people have been killed and around 200 injured in communal clashes in northeast Delhi over the last three days related to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

The court was hearing a plea by a private school, Bhai Parmanand Vidya Mandir, at Surya Niketan in east Delhi, and some of its class 10 and 12 students saying the centre allotted to them by the CBSE was 16 km away from their school and situated in Chandu Nagar-Karawal Nagar road, one of the violence-hit areas.

The petitioners, represented by advocate Kamal Gupta, said it would be hard for them to reach the Centre due to violent clashes and riots in the area.

They have 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.

The court on Tuesday, while hearing the matter, had said that safety of children cannot be put at risk and had asked the CBSE to decide at the earliest on rescheduling Wednesday's board exam at the centre in question.

The court had also said that 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 plea said when the school had come to know about the Centre allotted to it, they had written to the 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.