[Class 12 assessment] Optional exams between August 15 and September 15: CBSE to Supreme Court

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has informed the Supreme Court that a dispute resolution mechanism, timeline for the declaration of result and date for holding optional examination has been incorporated in its policy to compute marks for class 12 students after the 12th standard board exams were cancelled in wake of COVID-19 (Mamta Sharma vs CBSE). .In an additional affidavit filed before the top court, the CBSE stated that disputes regarding computation of results can be referred to a committee constituted by the CBSE. Further, if a student is not satisfied with the results, then he/ she can register online for giving optional examination. "Examinations shall be conducted only in the main subjects as and when the conditions are conducive for holding the examinations. However marks obtained by a candidate in this examination will be treated as final for those who opt to take the exam," the affidavit said. .The board also clarified that the result for 12th standard students as computed in accordance with the assessment policy, will be declared before July 31, 2021 and the optional exam will be conducted between August 15 to September 15, depending on the pandemic conditions. .With regarding to the compartment students, CBSE stated that the exams will be held in consonance with the assessment policy of academic year 2019-2020, as approved by the Supreme Court in 2020 and results shall be declared in line with the same policy. The compartments exams shall be conducted anytime between August 15 and September 15, 2021. .These clarifications and additions were made to its assessment policy pursuant to Supreme Court's directions of June 18. .Earlier Uttar Pradesh Parents Association, Lucknow, had told Supreme Court that the CBSE assessment policy for students of class 12 which links the performance of the present 12th standard students with that of the past years' performance of former students is "wholly arbitrary" and cannot be legally sustained.The association, therefore, urged the court to scrap para 10 of the Scheme of Assessment Moderation proposed by CBSE,"Such irrational policy of linking the present batch of students with that of past performance of ex-students cannot be legally sustained under any circumstances," an affidavit filed by the association before the top court said..Linking present CBSE students with past performance of ex-students arbitrary: UP Parents Association opposes CBSE policy for Class 12 assessment.However, CBSE defended the para 10 of the policy stating that "it is necessary in the interest of fairness and to ensure that the marks allocated are comparable and there is no adverse impact or undue gain for any student because of the methodology /process of evaluation used by the individual school."