Board examinations cancelled for classes 5,8,9,11 in Karnataka: Report

The Karnataka Government has officially decided not to conduct board examinations for students in classes 5, 8, 9, and 11 in state-affiliated schools, aligning with a directive from the Supreme Court, The Indian Express reported.
This announcement was made by School Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa on Friday, following the top court’s April ruling that deemed such examinations inconsistent with the Right to Education Act.
According to the report, The Minister clarified that moving forward, students in classes 5, 8, and 9 will be evaluated through Summative Assessment-2 (SA-2), while class 11 students will undertake an annual examination instead.
Bangarappa noted that results from previously held board examinations have been withheld, related orders rescinded, and an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court.
“In our efforts to reduce the fear and anxiety surrounding board exams, we introduced these assessments for classes 5, 8, 9, and 11. We are committed to complying with the Supreme Court’s final ruling on this matter,” he stated.
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The Karnataka High Court in March granted permission to the State Government to proceed with the conduct of board exams for classes 5,8, 9 and 11 for the academic year 2023-24, overturning the March six order of a single judge bench.
The decision of the division bench comprising Justice K Somashekar and Justice Rajesh Rai K, came after the State Government filed an appeal challenging the earlier ruling. 
The single judge’s verdict had nullified the State Government’s decision, made in October 2023, to hold board exams for these classes through the Karnataka State Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB).
The division bench’s ruling interpreted the notifications issued by the State Government regarding the board exams as guidelines rather than strict regulations, based on its understanding of the powers granted under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.
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