Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Apr 21: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dealt a significant setback to the state government by refusing to interfere with its earlier order directing the evaluation of SSLC third language answer scripts using marks rather than the proposed grading system. The court dismissed a review petition filed by the state government, maintaining the status quo of its April 15 order.
Justice ES Indiresh, presiding over the matter, rejected the government's plea to reconsider the transition to a grading system for the 2025–26 academic year. The court reiterated that the government is duty-bound to follow the evaluation regulations that were in effect at the time the examination notification was issued.
Legal observations and government duty
The court clarified that while it would not stand in the way of the government implementing a grading system in the future—provided the necessary legal amendments to the rules are made—it cannot allow a shift mid-way through the current cycle.
The court noted that the state government itself had previously stated that the evaluation for the 2025–26 SSLC exams would be conducted as per the rules existing on the date of the exam notification. Based on this commitment, the high court had issued its directive on April 15.
Students' petition sparks ruling
The legal battle began when three students moved the court expressing concern over statements made by the minister for primary and secondary education regarding the introduction of grades for the third language. The petitioners—Sahana R Naik from Chikkamagaluru, and Anusha and Sudheeksha from Udupi—requested the court to direct the government to stick to the circular issued by the Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) on October 28, 2025.
During the hearing, the additional government advocate confirmed that the evaluation would indeed follow the regulations present on the date of the examination announcement. Recording this statement, the court ordered the state to evaluate the answer scripts of the recently concluded SSLC examinations based on those established rules, ensuring that students receive marks instead of grades.