K.P. Bhandari, J. - (1.) This is a writ petition filed by a large number of students who want to appear in the 9th Class examination of the Haryana School Education Board.
(2.) It is alleged that the petitioners are 9th class students and want to appear in the examination for that class; that they have submitted their admission forms within the prescribed time and also paid the admission fee but they are not being allowed to appear in the examination for the said class on the basis of wrong view of the respondents that they are not eligible to appear for the said examination. According to the petitioners further, vide letter Annexure PI dated 2.11.1987 the Board of School Education Haryana (respondent) had decided that the 9th class examination should be held internally by the schools. However, the question papers and the date sheet will be supplied by the Board. The Board has prescribed a fee of Rs. 30/-. The only eligibility qualification is that a candidate appearing for the said examination should be 13 years of age on or before the first day of March of the year of the examination. But the respondent Board is not considering them eligible to appear in the examination on the ground that they have not qualified the 8th class examination. It is against this stand of the respondent that the petitioners have approached this Court through this writ petition seeking a Mandamus to the respondent to allow them to appear in the 9th Class examination.
(3.) The respondent has filed written statement and justified their stand in not allowing the petitioner to appear for the examination.;