Orissa HC Asks CBSE To Decide On Class X, XII Fee Hike Representation In 4 Weeks

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has directed the Chairman of Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE) to take a decision on Odisha Abhibhabak Mahasangh’s representation against the hike in examination fee for Class X and XII, within four weeks.

In August this year, the CBSE had hiked the Class X and Class XII examination fee from Rs 750 to Rs 1,500 for general category students and from Rs 50 to Rs 1,200 for SC and ST students.

Mahasangh chairman Basudev Bhatta had moved the High Court after his representation to the CBSE Chairman yielded no result. In his petition, he contended that the hike in examination fee structure warrants HC’s intervention ‘in the larger interest of the students’ as it is ‘illegal and arbitrary’.

“The State, who is obligated to provide free and compulsory education to the students in the age group of 6 to 14 has ex facie failed to discharge its statutory duties,” the petition alleged.

“Though the HC has not issued any notice to CBSE, the matter will come up for hearing again after four weeks,” said Bibhuti Bhusan Choudhury, lawyer of the Mahasangha .

Around 20,299 schools in India are affiliated to CBSE.