The Supreme Court on Friday hoped that the Centre would take a decision by Monday on whether to scrap the CBSE and ICSE Class XII exams in view of the pandemic.

A bench of Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari was hearing a petition from advocate Mamta Sharma seeking the cancellation of the Class XII board exams and evaluation on the basis of internal assessments.

Both the CBSE and the ICSE have cancelled the Class X exams but have said they would decide in early June whether to go ahead with the Class XII exams. The Class X students will be evaluated on the basis of their performance in internal assessments.

The petitioner has complained that though the CBSE and the ICSE have cancelled the Class X exams, no such benefit has yet been extended to the Class XII students, which amounted to discrimination and violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14 (equality), 15 (non-discrimination) and 21 (life and personal liberty).

“Be optimistic. Maybe by Monday some resolution will be in your favour. The government may take a decision,” the Supreme Court orally told Sharma.

The bench said it would again hear the matter on May 31, before the two school boards are likely to take a decision.

The court dictated the following written order: “We permit the petitioner-in-person to serve advance copy on the standing counsel for the respondent(s), namely, Central Agency, CBSE, ICSE and also the office of the learned attorney-general of India…. List this matter on Monday, i.e. 31st May, 2021, at 11am.”