Possession of phone itself violation: Karnataka HC restores CBSE ban on student

Bengaluru: In a significant ruling on examination discipline, the Karnataka High Court has upheld the authority of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to impose strict penalties for possession of prohibited devices during examinations.

A division bench led by Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru allowed an appeal filed by CBSE and set aside an earlier order of a single-judge bench that had quashed the board’s decision to debar a student for two years.

The case involved a Class 12 student from Bengaluru who was found carrying a mobile phone during the Physical Education board examination.

According to court records, the incident occurred during the 2025 CBSE board examinations conducted between February 17 and March 3. The student reportedly arrived late to the exam centre, citing the long distance—around 23 kilometres—between his residence and the centre.

During the examination, an invigilator discovered a mobile phone in the student’s pocket roughly 25 minutes after the test began. The phone was confiscated immediately and the student was permitted to continue writing the examination with a separate question paper.

Later, the matter was referred to the CBSE Examination Controller’s office. After reviewing the incident, the board concluded that carrying a mobile phone inside the exam hall constituted use of an “unfair means” under its examination by-laws.

Based on these rules, CBSE imposed a penalty debarring the student from appearing for examinations during the current academic year as well as the following year.

The student challenged the order before the High Court. The single-judge bench ruled in his favour, noting that no copying material was found on the phone and that there was no proof he had used it during the examination.

However, CBSE appealed the decision before a division bench, arguing that its rules clearly prohibit possession of electronic devices inside examination halls.

Accepting this argument, the division bench ruled that strict enforcement of examination rules is necessary to maintain the integrity and fairness of public examinations. The bench therefore restored the CBSE order.

Interestingly, the student had an impressive academic record, scoring 92 per cent in Class 10 and later clearing the highly competitive Joint Entrance Examination Advanced in 2025.

The case highlights the growing debate over examination discipline and the strict interpretation of rules governing the use of electronic devices during board examinations.

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