HC allows girl short of attendance to appear in board exams

Giving a relief to a school girl, the Delhi High Court today stayed her debarment by the CBSE from appearing in the ongoing class XII board exams on the ground that she was short of attendance.
Justice Manmohan granted the interim relief to the city-based girl who had sought a direction to the CBSE and a private school to permit her to appear in remaining Class XII exam papers as she has already written two tests conducted till now.
She was short of attendance due to medical reasons and was earlier granted permission by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to appear in the exams but it debarred her from writing the remaining tests by passing an order on March 24. The information was given to the girl yesterday by her school.

The court said, "Since one of the papers in which the girl is to appear is scheduled for tomorrow, this court till further orders stays the impugned order dated March 24 issued by the CBSE and the letter dated March 27 passed by the school."
It also directed that the student's result should not be declared and be kept in sealed cover.
"This court also directs that the girl's result shall not be declared but kept in a sealed cover. However, the present order shall not create any equities in favour of the girl and shall abide by the outcome of the writ petition," it said.

Advocate Saket Sikri, who represented the girl, said the minor has already appeared in two exams and the board had earlier taken a decision to condone shortage of her attendance on medical grounds and now it cannot withdraw the approval midway and without issuing any notice.