The Delhi High Court on Monday (April 16) dismissed an intervening application asking court to pre-pone or cancel the retest of Economics paper (as various competitive exams are coming up and many other state boards are preparing for the same entrance exams and this would put in difficulty for the CBSE students) after accepting CBSE’s submissions that the date for retest was fixed after having taken into consideration all relevant aspects.

The bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar was hearing a batch of petitions seeking a court monitored investigation into CBSE paper leaks of Economics and Maths.

During the course of proceedings, the intervener said: “It would not be in the benefit of the students to give retest in the class 12 Economics paper as there are various competitive exams going to be held on the earlier dates. This is not in the interest of the students.”

To which the bench asked CBSE’s counsel: “What is your stand?”

“At this stage intervention should not be allowed,” the CBSE’s counsel said.

Intervener again reiterated: “Entrance exam are far more important.”

Bench said: “Whether to hold an exam or not is for the CBSE. We are not the statutory body to decide that. Other thing is that when the exam should be held?”

In another related plea which sought retest of both the Class 10th Maths and Class 12th Economics paper, the bench sought to know from the CBSE on what basis the decision was taken by the CBSE for not holding the Class 10 Maths exams.

The bench directed CBSE to file a report on what basis they formed their report dated April 3, 2018.

The matter was listed for next hearing to April 20, 2018.

—India Legal Bureau