Delhi High Court seeks responses on calculator use in CBSE exams
Authorities have been given six weeks to reply to a petition requesting non-programmable calculators for Class XII students.
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the Union government, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), and the National Assessment Centre. According to ANI, the court is seeking their replies regarding a petition that asks for Class XII students to be allowed to use calculators during board examinations.
A Division Bench including Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma granted the authorities six weeks to file their responses. The petition was filed by Pitampura resident Vishal Dua on behalf of himself and 10 other parents through advocate Nitin Mangla.
The petitioners want permission for basic, non-programmable calculators to be used in Class XII Accountancy exams. They also requested that an expert body examine the possibility of allowing calculators in Mathematics examinations.
The plea states that students spend too much time on manual calculations in Accountancy and Mathematics, which limits their ability to show their understanding of concepts. It claims the CBSE Curriculum Committee approved a proposal for calculators in Accountancy during a meeting on November 25 and 26, 2024, but the recommendation has not been implemented.
The petition argues that using calculators aligns with the National Education Policy, 2020, and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education, 2023. It also seeks to extend calculator facilities from students with dyscalculia to other students with disabilities.