Calculators in CBSE Exams? Delhi HC Asks for Response
Delhi High Court seeks responses from CBSE and NCERT on a plea to allow non-programmable calculators for Class 12 Accountancy and Math exams.
The Delhi High Court has stepped in to examine whether Class XII students should be allowed to use calculators during their board examinations. On Wednesday, the court sought detailed responses from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), and the Union government regarding a petition that argues manual calculations are hindering students' ability to showcase their actual knowledge.
The Legal Battle for Better Tools
A Division Bench, consisting of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma, issued notices to the authorities, granting them a window of six weeks to file their official responses. The matter reached the court through a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Vishal Dua, a Pitampura resident, along with 10 other parents, represented by advocate Nitin Mangla.
The petitioners are specifically pushing for two major changes:
- Accountancy: Immediate permission to use basic, non-programmable calculators.
- Mathematics: A formal review by an expert body to determine if calculators should be permitted.
The Argument: Concepts Over Calculations
The core of the plea rests on the idea that students are spending an excessive amount of time on tedious, lengthy manual calculations. The petitioners argue that this drains precious time during the exam, leaving students with less opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of complex concepts and their ability to apply them to problems.
Furthermore, the plea highlights a perceived contradiction within the CBSE itself. According to the petition, the CBSE’s own Curriculum Committee had already approved a proposal to allow basic, non-programmable calculators for Class XII Accountancy during its 70th meeting on November 25 and 26, 2024. While this proposal was forwarded to the CBSE Governing Body in December 2024, the petitioners claim that no action has been taken to implement the recommendation.
Aligning with Modern Education Policies
The petition contends that allowing calculators is not just about convenience but is in line with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023. Both these frameworks emphasize "higher-order thinking" and conceptual clarity over the rote learning and mechanical repetition often associated with manual arithmetic.
Expanding Support for Students with Disabilities
Beyond the general student population, the plea also seeks to expand inclusivity. Currently, students with dyscalculia are permitted to use calculators. The petitioners are asking the court to extend this facility to other categories of students with disabilities to ensure a level playing field.
Road to the Court
The move to the High Court comes after the petitioners claim their attempts to resolve the issue administratively failed. They stated that a detailed representation was submitted to the CBSE and other authorities in August 2026, but they received no reasoned response within the expected timeframe.
The legal challenge has been filed against the Union of India, CBSE, NCERT, and the National Assessment Centre, leaving the future of the board exam format in the hands of the judiciary and educational regulators.