Retd prof moves Bombay HC against SSC board exam cancellation

Dhananjay Kulkarni says not letting students take the exam will affect the standard of education

When the Std X board examination was cancelled owing to the raging second wave of Covid-19 outbreak, students, who were scared of contracting the infection during their trips to exam halls, were elated. However, a retired professor from Pune says the cancellation is "a form of academic corruption".

Dhananjay Kulkarni has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court against the cancellation of the Std X final examinations of all the boards. In the petition, he has said it is academically wrong to not hold exams and that it can have a long lasting impact on the standard of education. While the Maharashtra State Board is still brainstorming alternative assessment methods for the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) student, CBSE, ICSE and others boards have already declared different ways of assessments, like internal tests and performances of previous academic years.

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Kulkarni, 61, stated in his petition, "This is nothing but a form of academic corruption. These children have not failed in any academic year, as the Right To Education (RTE) Act prevents schools from failing children of Std I to VIII. Last year, too, they passed Std IX without any exam due to Covid-19. Now, again the exam has been cancelled.

"Depending on internal assessment for board exams is unacceptable, as all schools were shut throughout the academic year," he added. Kulkarni had filed a similar petition for degree exams last academic year. "Last year, around similar time, final year degree course exams were also going to be cancelled, but it had to be challenged as students cannot be awarded degrees without having to appear for exams. This is the same for Std X students who would be awarded with certificates. It was after the Supreme court ruled in favour, the mode of online examination was finalised," he stated.