Expressing displeasure over the conduct of a CBSE official, the Orissa High Court on Tuesday initiated suo moto contempt of court proceedings against the board’s Joint Secretary (Academics) Manoj Srivastava.
Issuing notice to Srivastava to show cause by July 3, Justice Biswanath Rath asked him to explain why proceedings shall not continue against him for making scurrilous remarks over the court’s order.
Srivastava had allegedly issued a Press statement in New Delhi questioning the propriety of an order passed by the High Court earlier this month in which Justice Rath had directed the CBSE to reevaluate the answer sheets of some aggrieved Class-XII students. Srivastava had even stated that the court order was made for a wrong submission by the CBSE counsel in the vacation bench of the court.
At least 22 students had approached the High Court alleging discrepancies in the marks awarded to them in certain papers. Engaging experts, the CBSE reevaluated the papers to find out that initially awarded marks changed in at least 18 of the 51 papers reevaluated.
The HC subsequently ordered for reevaluation of answer sheets of another 159 aggrieved students, whose results were also published in May.
Expressing displeasure over the happenings in the CBSE and observing that the board was playing with the future of the students, the High Court said, “There is an apparent mistake in the evaluation process of the CBSE and the students have a genuine grievance.”
On going to the Press and insulting the court verdict, Justice Rath observed, “Some officers are becoming too arrogant while dealing with court orders.”