The Supreme Court on Friday directed a school and the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (ICSE) to extend all necessary assistance to ensure that a rusticated student is permitted to appear in the board examinations scheduled to commence on 17 February, observing that the academic future of a child cannot be allowed to suffer.

During the hearing, Ad Nipun Saxena, counsel for the petitioner submitted that denial of permission would result in the child losing two academic years, as ICSE regulations require registration for Class X to be completed during Class IX, which had already been done. It was argued that the matter was taken up urgently in view of the impending examinations.

Justice B.V. Nagarathna observed that the Court could not allow the child’s academic prospects to be irreversibly harmed, particularly when the student had continued his studies through private tuitions. Taking exception to the school’s decision to rusticate the student, the Court remarked that instead of disassociating itself from the child, the institution ought to have taken responsibility to reform him.

The school, however, opposed the plea, contending that the student could seek admission elsewhere and pointing to adverse observations made earlier by the High Court regarding his conduct. The Supreme Court declined to allow those observations to prejudice the child’s future, noting that broader societal or familial circumstances cannot be grounds to penalise a student academically.

Accordingly, the Court directed the school to cooperate fully and ordered ICSE to issue the requisite hall ticket or admission card to enable the student to appear in the examination.