TV
The Orissa High Court has strongly criticised the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for declaring 72 Class XII students from two schools in Bargarh and Padampur guilty of using ‘unfair means’ during the 2025 board examinations without following established procedure.
According to a report of The New Indian Express, Justice Dixit Krishna Shripad, ruling on 15 petitions filed by the affected students, observed that CBSE’s decision violated its own bylaws and the principles of natural justice, jeopardising the academic future of the petitioners.
While recognising the importance of safeguarding examination integrity, the Court refrained from directing CBSE to publish the results immediately. Instead, it ordered a fresh inquiry, terming it a ‘golden balance’ between protecting students’ rights and maintaining fairness in academics.
The case arose after the results of these students were withheld on May 26, with CBSE alleging mass malpractice.
The Board defended its stance by citing missing CCTV footage and ‘exceptional circumstances’ that justified bypassing Bye-Law 36, which lays down procedures for dealing with malpractices.
The bench, however, rejected this reasoning, stating that exceptions cannot be invoked without a reasonable interpretative basis. Justice Shripad remarked, “If even God gave Adam and Eve a chance to be heard, CBSE cannot deny young students and their parents the same.”
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The court also pulled up the schools concerned for failing to retain CCTV footage as required, calling the suspension of principals inadequate.
