Govt’s explanation satisfactory; SC permits to conduct plus one exam

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has permitted to conduct the plus one exams, which were postponed due to the severity of Covid. The court ruled in favour of the government on a plea filed by students seeking postponement of the exam due to the spread of the disease. The explanation of the government is satisfactory. Offline exams can be conducted. However, the court has asked to take all precautions.

Education Minister V Sivankutty informed that a new timetable would be prepared for the exams and all schools would be disinfected. The question papers for the examination have already been delivered to the schools, he said. The minister also said that some people had spread rumours against the conduct of the exams.

A Supreme Court bench led by Justice A M Khanwilkar ordered to conduct the exams by adhering to Covid norms. The government assured the court that the exams would be completed before the third wave of Covid in October. Taking this at face value, the court rejected the pleas against the offline exam.

The marks of plus one are considered along with plus two exam marks for higher education courses. Those who fail in plus two exams need to pass the plus two and plus one exams. Kerala had informed the court that if the exams were not conducted offline, the students failed will suffer.

The government had conducted the SSLC and plus two exams in compliance with the Covid rules in April and in July BTech exam of Technical University. One lakh students appeared for the exam then. About seven lakh students appeared for the JEE Main exam offline this month. The court accepted government's claim that plus one examination could be conducted in full compliance with Covid norms.