'Harassment Of Students': Supreme Court Slams Karnataka Over 'Half-Yearly Board' Exams, Stays Results Of Classes 8-10

The top court remarked that it appeared that someone in the government was making it an "ego issue." The bench further said that there was no such thing as "half-yearly" board exams. 

The top court questioned as to why the Karnataka government was following this model of education which is not followed by any other state.

Source : ANI

The Supreme Court on Monday took exception of Karnataka government's move to conduct half-yearly board exams for classes 8th to 10th. The top court questioned why the state government was pushing for "harassment of students" by conducting board exams for different classes.

A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma restrained it from declaring results of board examinations of classes 8, 9 and 10 till further orders.

The bench pulled up the state government and asked why the state was making it an ego issue and said that if the government is really concerned about student's welfare then it should open good schools and not throttle them.

"Why are you harassing the students? You are the state. You should not behave like this. Don't make it an ego issue. If you are really concerned about the welfare of students, then please open good schools. Don't throttle them,” the bench said.

The top court questioned as to why the Karnataka government was following this model of education which is not followed by any other state.

The court was informed by the state government's counsel that it has withdrawn a circular for conducting board examinations for students of classes 5, 8, 9 and 10 in the current academic year in seven rural districts of the state, however, the examination was conducted in 24 other districts.

The bench today remarked that it appeared that someone in the government was making it an "ego issue." The bench further remarked that there was no such thing as "half-yearly" board exams. 

The top court directed the state government to file an affidavit giving the exact details of the examination in four weeks.

Earlier, the Karnataka High Court's division bench had permitted the state government to conduct the board exams for different classes for the academic year 2023-24, overruling the March 6 order of a single judge's bench. A plea wasfiled against the high court order allowing the exams in the Supreme Court.