New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) response on a plea for allowing students with disabilities other than Dyscalculia to use basic calculators in accountancy and mathematics in the class 12 board examinations.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma issued notice to the Centre, CBSE, National Council of Educational Research and Training, and PARAKH (National Assessment Centre). At the outset, the CBSE's counsel submitted that the issue is already under consideration and sought some time to seek instructions.
The court was hearing a PIL by Vishal Dua and several other parents seeking extension of the existing calculator facility available only to students with Dyscalculia to other categories of students with disabilities.
The petition said CBSE's own curriculum committee had approved the accountancy proposal in November 2024, recording that the ban imposes a 'cognitive load' and permitting calculators is a long overdue initiative aligned with NEP 2020.
The plea said the proposal was placed before CBSE's governing body in December 2024, but has neither been notified nor implemented.
The petitioners contended that lengthy calculations consume a significant portion of examination time, leaving students with less time to demonstrate their conceptual understanding of subjects such as accountancy and mathematics.
It sought a direction to CBSE to constitute an expert committee to examine permitting calculators in mathematics and to extend the existing calculator facility for students with disabilities beyond those diagnosed with Dyscalculia.
The petitioners said they made a representation to the authorities in August 2026 for implementation of the proposal and a reasoned response but it has remained unanswered.