Telangana postpones SSC exams after getting an earful from High Court
Hyderabad: The Telangana government indefinitely postponed the SSC examinations that were to be held during March 23-30 following a rebuke from the Telangana High Court on Friday.
However, exams on March 21 will take place as scheduled.
The court direction came over concerns over the spread of the coronavirus. “What is the point of holding the SSC examinations when the entire world is in panic?” asked a division bench of chief justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A Abhishek Reddy.
The court was hearing a petition seeking postponement of the exams due to the Covid-19 threat.
“All educational institutions across the country are closed. CBSE and ICSE have postponed examinations. The Prime Minister yesterday appealed to people to follow a ‘Janata Curfew’ on Sunday. When the PM appeals to people to refrain from going out, how can the state hold SSC exams? This court has even advised lawyers not to congregate in the court halls,” the chief justice said.
“In Karimnagar, seven positive Covid-19 cases were identified. If god forbid, one child is infected, what will be the fate of the children and parents? If suppose a couple has only one child and that child is infected with the coronavirus, what will be the fate of the couple?”
Advocate general B S Prasad said the state government has taken precautionary measures, like providing sanitisers and masks in the examination halls to ensure the safety of students. Students who had a cough and cold would be segregated.
“The exams are underway,” he said. “At this stage, if examinations are postponed, it will have a psychological impact on students and their careers will be hit,” he said.
In response, the chief justice said: “I am sorry; I cannot imagine 30 students being confined for two hours in the examination hall. If one child falls ill, then the lives of all 30 are at stake and I will not allow this to happen. If a single child tests positive, leave the career and psychological impact, it will be the end for the child,” he said.
