CBSE decision to hold Boards for private students irks many

Roughly 22,000 students across the country have privately registered with the CBSE and will be required to take the exams. However, they have demanded that they be evaluated using alternative criteria — on a par with regular students.

“There is a right to equality under Article 14 in our Constitution; if the examination has been cancelled due to the pandemic, then it should be cancelled for private students as well. Scientists and doctors have said a third wave is likely to hit around the same time. What happens then?” said Kartikey, a student from Varanasi.

Ratnaprabha Puri, a Patrachar student in Delhi, also said the decision to hold exams could affect their admissions in colleges and universities. “The CBSE has told our parents that if the situation is not conducive to hold exams, they will postpone them for two months. This means by the time our results come, admissions to higher education institutes would have already been completed. Why should we be made to suffer like this?” she said.

Puri said a protest had been planned outside the CBSE office on Thursday.

There are also parents who petitioned the government to cancel the exams for health reasons. Among them is Dr V P Sathyanathan from Kannur, Kerala. His son Damodar suffers from recurrent anaphylaxis.

“In his condition any small irritant like dust, chalk dust, smoke and smell of some foods can make him breathless and lead to unconsciousness. If epinephrine injection is not given immediately, the condition can be life-threatening. Due to Covid situation, he could not sit for the theory component in the 2020 exams which is why we registered privately. He has always been a good student. But in no condition can he go for exams now. I have written to the CBSE Controller of Examinations about it too,” he said.

CBSE Controller of Examinations Sanyam Bharadwaj did not respond to calls and texts by The Indian Express.