Karnataka to conduct Class 5, 8, 9 exams this year, HC rejects plea to scrap them

The Karnataka High Court has recently made a significant decision regarding the conduct of board exams for classes 5, 8, and 9 in the state. This blog post delves into the details of the court's decision, the background of the controversy, and the implications for students and educational institutions.

Karnataka High Court's Ruling on Board Exams

Interim Stay on Government Order: A division bench of the Karnataka High Court granted an interim stay to the order passed by a single-member bench, allowing the state government to proceed with the board exams for classes 5, 8, and 9. The decision came after an appeal filed by the government challenging the single-member bench's order quashing the examination directive.

Background and Controversy: The state government had initially issued an order to conduct board exams for the aforementioned classes for the academic year 2023-24. However, this decision faced opposition from the association of unaided schools, leading to a legal challenge in the High Court. While government schools showed no objection, private schools contested the government's directive, resulting in a legal battle.

Government's Appeal and Court's Decision: The government, in its appeal, highlighted the disruption caused by the injunction on the scheduled exams. Despite arguments from both sides, the division bench opted to stay the order of the single-member bench, allowing the exams to proceed as planned from March 11 onwards.

Historical Context: The decision to conduct board exams for classes 5 and 8 was initially implemented during the tenure of former Education Minister BC Nagesh under the BJP government. Additionally, the idea of introducing board exams for 9th and 11th-class students was considered during the Siddaramaiah government.

Current Examination Schedule: Meanwhile, the Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) has already commenced the second PU exam, which will continue until March 22, 2024. The SSLC examination is scheduled to take place between March 25, 2024, and April 6, 2024. Notably, over 6.9 lakh candidates have registered for the second PU exam, while approximately 8.9 lakh students have enrolled for the SSLC exams.