Stop being rigid or will stay SSC exams, Telangana high court warns govt

HYDERABAD: The Telangana high court on Friday threatened to stop the SSC exams, which are scheduled to begin on June 8, if the state government was not willing to allow those students who wanted to take the exams at a later stage in view of Covid-19 fears.
The court said the government must come up with an answer by Saturday afternoon, failing which it would be forced to stay the entire exam schedule.
Stressing that the state should be cautious as it concerns the lives of children, a bench of Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy said the government should display flexibility in respect of those students whose parents do not want to send them out for exams in view of the prevailing Covid-19 situation.
“Those who miss the exams now should be allowed to write the supplementary exams, which are likely to be held in August or September. Their marks memos should show them as regular students and not as ones passed in supplementary exams, which is considered as a stigma,” observed the bench, indicating that it would allow the exams with such a condition.
Talking tough, the bench further said: “But if you (government) are not ready to display such flexibility, then we may have to stay the examinations.” It was hearing a PIL filed by M Balakrishna, seeking postponement of the exams.
“We will hold a special sitting on Saturday (though it is a holiday for the court) at 1 pm for hearing the case in view of the urgency,” the bench said.
Govt keen to start SSC exams on Monday
The government is keen to see the exams commence on Monday.
The bench also heard another petition filed by social activist Sai Mani Varun Chevuri of Hyderabad who wanted the government to cancel the SSC exams and promote all the students. His counsel P Nagesh also urged the court to issue notices to the government and the Telangana Board of Secondary Education and seek counters on the issue.
Nagesh argued that the government took 14 days to sanitise all its schools earmarked as examination centres and expressed apprehensions over the conditions prevailing in private schools which would also serve as exam centres. “The coronavirus cases are rising exponentially and we have our own fears,” he said.
The bench, however, sought evidence about private schools that have not been sanitised. “The advocates’ associations are asking us to reopen the courts. Does it mean that the advocates will not be affected by the virus?” the bench wondered.
The bench also refused to entertain an implead petition filed by Balala Hakkuka Sangham, saying it cannot do so at the last minute. “We have stayed the exams before. Later, after taking a look at the elaborate arrangements made by the state government, we vacated the stay. Now, you (sangham) cannot come and intervene in the matter,” the bench said addressing its counsel.