Delhi High Court Upholds Student's Right to Full Marks for Correct Answer Despite Examiner Error

A student challenged the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for denying full marks on question 27 of her Class XII Geography paper. While the examiner marked two checkmarks beside her answer, indicating it was correct, the Board withheld credit due to the absence of a corresponding mark in the margin. As reported by Live Law in a ruling upholding student right, the Delhi High Court declared that a student must receive full marks for a correct answer even if the examiner neglects to award them. The court emphasized that students shouldn't be penalized for examiner error and deserve the benefit of the doubt when answers are not demonstrably incorrect.

Justice Shankar, presiding over the case, affirmed the student's argument, stating that "if the examiner considers the answer to be correct, then the student should definitely get marks for it." He further clarified that the examiner holds the authority to assess answer validity, and the Board cannot override their judgement unless the answer's incorrectness is indisputable.

In light of this principle, the court awarded the student an additional five marks for question 27, emphasizing that students deserve complete credit for accurate answers irrespective of minor procedural lapses by the examiner. This landmark decision reinforces the protection of student rights and ensures fair evaluation practices within the CBSE system.