The Delhi High Court has dismissed a plea seeking to reschedule the Chartered Accountant (CA) Intermediate and Final examinations due to the overlap with the dates of the general elections.
Court Decision
A single-judge bench of Justice C Hari Shankar, in its April 8 order, rejected the plea, noting that the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has made arrangements for candidates to both vote and appear for exams.
Details of the Case
The petitioners, comprising 27 candidates, sought to postpone the CA exams to the second week of June, citing clashes with the Lok Sabha election dates. However, the court emphasized that the inconvenience faced by a few candidates cannot justify disrupting the exams for over 4,36,000 candidates.
Observations by the Court
Justice Shankar criticized the petitioners for their pessimistic outlook, suggesting potential chaos and violence during elections. The court highlighted the responsibility of the security administration and expressed confidence in their ability to conduct elections smoothly.
Court’s Stance on Article 21 Violation
The court dismissed claims of Article 21 violation, stating that the presumption of nationwide turmoil during elections is unfounded. It asserted that elections are a democratic process, not a precursor to civil war, and interference with national-level exam schedules is permissible only under exceptional circumstances.
ICAI Response
The ICAI clarified that no exams are scheduled on election dates and made provisions for candidates to participate in both activities. The institute’s proactive approach in ensuring candidates’ ability to vote and take exams was acknowledged by the court.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Delhi High Court’s decision underscores the importance of upholding the integrity of both democratic processes and educational assessments. It emphasizes the need for balanced consideration of individual grievances while ensuring the smooth functioning of national-level exams.
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