Board exams: Karnataka High Court reserves verdict on government’s appeal

March 18, 2024 08:35 pm | Updated 08:36 pm IST - Bengaluru

A Division Bench of the High Court of Karnataka on Monday reserved its verdict on an appeal by the State government challenging the March 6 judgement of a single judge, who had quashed the government’s decision for holding board exams for classes 5, 8, 9, and 11 without framing the rules.

Earlier, it was argued on behalf of the petitioner-associations of schools managements that the single judge had rightly quashed the notifications issued by the government in October 2023, for holding summative assessment-2 for classes 5,8, and 9, and annual exams for class 11 through the Karnataka State Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB).

The single judge had quashed the notifications while allowing the petitions filed by the Registered Unaided Private Schools’ Management Association-Karnataka, Bengaluru, and the Organisation for Unaided Recognised Schools, Bengaluru.

Framing rules

The government, under any circumstance, could not have ventured into changing the examination system, without framing rules after consultation with the stakeholders by notifying the draft rules proposing change in the examination system under the Karnataka Education Act even if there is no detention or failing of student based on their performance in the exams, it was argued.

The Bench, comprising Justice K. Somashekar and Justice Rajesh Rai K, has reserved the verdict by asking the advocates for the associations as well as the government to submit their written arguments.