Evaluation of examination answers must adhere to established guidelines, and any arbitrary deviation can infringe upon a student’s right to education.

+I, _5g [3331 I IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMAR (SPECIAL ORIGINAL JURISDICTION)

TUESDAY, THE FIRST DAY OF JULY TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY FIVE :PRESENT:

THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE GANNAMANENI RAMAKRISHN WRIT PETITION NO: 15888 OF 2025 Between :

Neelakantam Bhanuteja, S/o Neelakantam Babu, Aged 17 years, Occ: Student, Being Minor, Rep by his father Neelakantam Babu, S/a Subba Ramayya, aged about 48 years, Occ: Agriculturist, R/o Ardhamala Village, Pellakuru MandaI, Tirupathi District.

Petitioner AND

1. Union of India, Rep by its Secretary, Ministry of Education, Room No.24C, Sastry Bhavan, New Delhi.

2. The Central Board of Secondary Education, Rep by its Chairman, Shiksha Kendra -2, Community Centre, Preethi Vihar, Delhi.

3. The Central Board of Secondary Education, Rep by its Regional Officer, 2nd & 3rd Floors, Stalin Central, M. G. Road (Beside FIoteI Manorama), Governor Pet, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh -520002

4. Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA-2025), Rep by I-ts Chairman under the Organising Institute for JEE (Advanced) -2025, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

Respondents Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed therewith, the High Court may be pleased to issue Writ, order or directions more particularly one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus to declare the action of the respondents No.2 and 3 not award the marks for the corrected answers in response to questions Nos.28, ____r' ---='=

/

37 and 38 in Mathematics, Subject Code No.O41, Paper Code: 65/5/1 of XII //

Grade CBSE appeared during 2024-2025 academic year as illegal, arbitrary and contrary to the Key and Valuation Points issued by the respondent No.2 and in violation of Articles 14, 21 of the Constitution of India and consequently direct the respondents No.2 and 3 to award marks against the answers for the questions No.28, 37 and 38 in MathematI|CS, Subject Code Noro41, Paper Code: 65/5/1 of 12{h Grade CBSE appeared during 2024-2025 academic year forthwith.

lANO: 1 OF2025 Petition under Section 151 CPC .is filed praying that in the circumstances stated in the grounds filed in support of the petition, the High Court may be pleased to direct the 4th respondent temporarily block the seat allocated to the petitioner for admission to the Institution, ensuring that it is not allotted to any other candidate during the pendency offifi;writ petition, Pending disposal of WP 15888 of 2025, on the file of the High Court.

The petition coming on for hearing, upon perusing the Petition and the affidavit filed in support thereof and upon hearing the arguments of SRI SREENIVAS CHALLA, Advocate for the Petitioner, Sri Pelleti Rajesh Kumar, Ld. Standing Counsel for the Respondent No.1 (through online) andSri T.D.

Phani Kumar, Ld. Standing Counsel for the Respondent Nos. 2 and 3, the Court made the following ORDER:

Heard Sri N. Subba Rao, Ld. Senior Coulnsel assisted by Sri SrinivasChaIIa, LdI Counsel for the Writ Petitioner, Sri Pelleti Rajesh Kumar, Ld. Standing Counsel for the Respondent No.1 (through online) andSri T.D. Phani Kumar, Ld. Standing Counsel for the Respondent Mos.

2and3.

2I Sri N. Subba Rao, Ld. Senior-Counsel would submit that theWrit Petitioner (Being minor, represented through his father) had writtentheCIass-XIl examination conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education(CBSC)I He had.secured 74.5yo aggregate in the i.

Class-XII CBSCexamination. In mathematics paper, the writ petitioner has secured36marksout of 80 marks in the theory. lt is the submission of the Ld. Senior Counsel that he had appeared in the JEE examination and had secured a rankentitlinghim for a seat in Indian Institute of Technology (Ill), Bhuvaneswar. It issubmitted that for