Karnataka Class 5, 8, 9 and SSLC exams to begin from March 25: High Court

The Karnataka High Court has granted permission to the state government to proceed with board examinations for Classes 5, 8, and 9, overturning a previous ruling that invalidated the government’s decision to conduct the exams.

The court also ordered the government to start the exams from where it was halted. Notably, exams for Class 11 were completed during the legal proceedings.

Additionally, the High Court has mandated the state government to engage in consultations with all relevant stakeholders before organising future board examinations. However, the Registered Unaided Private Schools Association (RUPSA) has expressed intentions to contest the High Court’s decision in the Supreme Court.

ABOUT THE LEGAL DISPUTE

The legal dispute originated from the Karnataka government’s notification on October 6 and October 9, 2023, appointing the Karnataka School Examination & Assessment Board (KSEAB) to conduct the “Summative Assessment-2” exams.

Although initially challenged by private school management associations, a single judge had nullified the government’s notifications. Nevertheless, the single judge’s ruling was stayed following the state’s appeal to a division bench. Subsequently, private schools and parents lodged special leave petitions before the Supreme Court, leading to a temporary halt to the exams.

COMMENCEMENT OF EXAMS

In compliance with the High Court’s directive, the Karnataka State Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) has announced the commencement of board exams for Classes 5, 8, and 9 from March 25. Previously scheduled for March 13, the exams will now begin on Monday, March 25.

Concurrently, SSLC (Class 10) exams in Karnataka are also slated to commence on March 25, with approximately 8.9 lakh students registered to participate.

According to the official timetable, Class 5 exams will take place on March 25 for Environmental Studies (2:30 pm to 4:30 pm) and on March 26 for Mathematics (10:00 am to 12:00 pm).

For Class 8, exams will be held from March 25 to 28, covering Third Language on March 25 (2:30 pm to 5:00 pm), Mathematics on March 26 (10:00 am to 12:30 pm), Science on March 27 (2:30 pm to 5:00 pm), and Social Science on March 28 (10 am to 12:30 pm).

Similarly, Class 9 exams will follow the same schedule, with altered timings. Third Language on March 25 (2:00 pm to 5:00 pm), Mathematics on March 26 (10:00 am to 1:15 pm), Science on March 27 (2:00 pm to 5:15 pm), and Social Science on March 28 (10 am to 1:15 pm).

To avoid scheduling conflicts with SSLC exams, assessments for classes 5, 8, and 9 have been slated for the afternoon on March 25 and March 27. In the absence of SSLC exams, the summative assessments for these classes will be conducted in the morning, clarified KSEAB.

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