Bombay HC Slams State Board Over ‘Comedy Of Errors’, Orders 2016 HSC Certificate To Student After 9-Year Delay
Mumbai: Coming to the rescue of a student who has been waiting for his Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) results since 2016, the Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education to issue his marksheet within 15 days and the HSC certificate within 30 days, upon payment of requisite fees.
Court Criticises Pedantic Approach by Authorities
The court rapped the authorities for such a pedantic approach, due to which the student could not pursue higher studies for nearly a decade.
Bench Flags ‘Avoidable Mistakes’ by College and Board
A bench of Justices Ravindra Ghuge and Ashwin Bhobe, in an order dated November 17 that was made available late Wednesday night, said the case revealed a disturbing chain of avoidable mistakes by the college and the Board, errors that halted the petitioner’s academic future for nearly a decade.
Student Approached HC After Board Failed to Appear
The student had filed the petition in 2023 seeking declaration of his HSC result for the February–March 2016 examination. The bench noted that despite service of notice, the Board “has not cared to appear”. The HC refused to keep the matter pending any longer and decided the petition.
Wrong Forms Submitted by College Caused the Crisis
The student had originally passed the HSC examination in 2014 with 45.54% and opted to improve his score under the Class Improvement Scheme (CIS). However, he failed the improvement attempt in 2015.
The controversy stemmed from the college repeatedly submitting incorrect online forms — first wrongly declaring him a ‘failed’ candidate instead of an improvement candidate in 2015, and then incorrectly showing him as a CIS student in 2016 when he was actually a repeater. The college principal later admitted both errors in letters dated 2018 and 2022.
Board Failed to Offer Mandatory CIS Option
The court noted that while the Board opposed the plea based on an unverified affidavit, nowhere did it claim that the petitioner was offered the mandatory CIS option — choosing between his original 2014 marks or the 2015 improvement result.
Judges Term Case a ‘Comedy of Errors’
“We find that this case involves the element of comedy of errors,” the bench remarked, pulling up the authorities for overlooking crucial procedural requirements.
Student Lost a Decade Despite Improved Score
Because the Board never issued his 2016 marksheet, the student, despite scoring a significantly improved 58.61% (381/650), could not pursue higher education or qualify for the NEET-UG examination. With the 2014 score, his PCB aggregate fell below the required 45%, leaving him ineligible.
HC Says Student Should Not Suffer for Institutional Errors
“Rarely would such a case come before a Court,” the judges observed, adding that the petitioner should not suffer for the college’s mistakes and the Board’s failure to provide the CIS option. They stressed the need for a “pragmatic view rather than a pedantic approach”.
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Board Directed to Issue Marksheet and Certificate Immediately
The court directed the Board to immediately issue the 2016 marks memo and the HSC certificate, enabling the student to use the improved result for any future professional entrance examinations.
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