Bengaluru: Karnataka High Court has questioned the Government notification, with regard to passing of all II PUC students (freshers) based on the marks obtained in first PUC class, but without extending the same benefit to repeaters and private students.

A Division Bench of Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice Hanchate Sanjeev Kumar ordered issuing notice to the State Government and other respondents on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by S.V. Singregowda, questioning the Government’s notification. 

During the hearing, the Bench told orally “How can you have different yardstick for repeaters and private students and fresher students? You don’t mind risking the health of private and repeater students, but freshers’ health you want to protect, everybody’s health should be protected or not? Or tell everybody to take exams?”

Advocate R.P. Somashekhariah, appearing for the petitioner submitted the notification dated June 3, which stated that II PUC students are given the benefit of passing the examinations and these students are yet to take the exams. There are around 7 lakh such students who will be benefiting. However, around 95,000 students who are repeaters or private students will have to take the examination in future. The petition states that the notification is bad in law and discriminates between II PUC students.

Orally, the Court said “Why only the repeaters are to appear for exams. If you are going to conduct exams for these students, around 95,000, then why not do it for fresher students also? It added “You (State) take permission from the Court before conducting examinations.”

The plea prays for quashing of the notification dated June 3 and seeking directions to the authorities to modify the notification and give benefit to repeaters and private students on the basis of marks obtained in I PUC.

The bench posted the hearing to Thursday. The State Government is directed to inform the Court about publication of results of II PU students and also inform the Court, why different classes of students have been created.

Examining order

Meanwhile, Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar said the Government was examining court’s direction and will furnish its reply after consultation.