[COVID-19] CBSE, ICSE students move Supreme Court seeking hybrid option for term examinations

A petition has been filed before the Supreme Court by six students seeking directions to conduct term exams for class 10 and class 12 for Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) boards via hybrid mode instead of physical examinations..Term 1 and Semester 1 of CBSE and ICSE/ ISC exams for class 10 and class 12 students for the academic year 2021-22 are scheduled to be held from November 16 and November 22 and would be in compulsory physical mode.The CBSE and ICSE boards by adopting offline/ physical mode instead of hybrid mode is acting in contravention of COVID guidelines, the plea said.."Covid Guidelines and Government Orders in place as of today indicate a policy of Blended Mode of education giving option to the students. For instance, clause d of the Circular issued by Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi dated October 29, 2021 specifically provides so. In complete disregard of the D extant policy, respondents chose to conduct offline mode of exams for all without any option for online exam," the petition stated..The plea said that preceding the exams for Major subjects in December 2021 are the exams for Minor subjects in November 2021 in physical mode. This will further aggravate the likelihood of turning the exams for Major subjects into a super spreader."About 26000 Schools are affiliated to CBSE Board alone. At any rate, such continuous exposure through offline exams sharply increases the risk of infection to Covid 19 rendering the impugned action as arbitrary and in violation of Right to Health," it was submitted.Hybrid mode of exams better facilitates social distancing reducing the strain on logistical constraints, the plea added..The plea, therefore, sought quashing of circulars issued by CBSE and ICSE mandating physical exam and seeking directions to the two Boards to hold exams in hybrid mode with the students being given the option to choose between online and offline exams.