The Supreme Court has intervened in the matter concerning Karnataka’s board exams for classes 5, 8, 9, and 11, putting a halt to the results as per a ruling by the Division Bench of the Karnataka High Court. This decision was made in response to petitions filed by the Registered Unaided Private Schools Management Association Karnataka and others, contesting the state’s decision to conduct these exams.
The Court has directed that the results declared by any school for these board exams should not be considered for any purpose and should not be communicated to parents if not already done so. Justices Bela Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal, presiding over the case, criticized the Karnataka government’s actions, stating that it has caused distress not only to students and parents but also to teachers and school management. They noted that the High Court’s order seemed to contradict the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, also known as the Right to Education Act 2009 (RTE).
The counsel representing the petitioners argued that the High Court’s decision disregarded the provisions of the Right to Education Act. They reminded the Bench of the Supreme Court’s previous observations against holding board exams for these classes. Additionally, they highlighted that the Karnataka State Quality Assessment and Accreditation Council had directed schools to publish results before 9 AM on April 4, creating further confusion and urgency.