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KEY ANSWERS

28. Now let us examine the challenges to the key answers. Before venturing to test the correctness of the key answers under challenge, let us, at the outset, consider the scope of judicial review on this aspect. The much celebrated judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court on this subject is Kanpur University Vs. Samir Gupta reported in AIR 1983 SC 1230. In that case, the petitioners therein contended that the key answers furnished by the paper setter were incorrect and the correct answers written by the students had not been considered because such answers did not tally with the wrong key answers. The High Court allowed the writ petitions and directed the authorities to award marks to the students for the answers given based on the correct key answers. The matter was thereafter taken up to the Hon'ble Supreme Court. While considering the scope of judicial review in such matters, the Hon'ble Supreme Court in paragraphs 16, 17 and 18 has held as follows:

29. As has been laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court, it should be presumed that the key answers set by the paper setter are correct unless it is demonstrably wrong. Keeping in mind, the above principle, let us now examine the challenges made in these writ petitions in respect of the Key Answers.

30. These writ petitions relate to the challenge in respect of the subjects such as Political Science, Tamil, Botany, Physics, History, Commerce, Geography, Economics, Maths and English.

31. In all the subjects, the question papers were in four series viz., "A", "B", C and D. In all these subjects, in every series of question paper, viz., A B C and D the questions up to 110 relate to the subject concerned and the questions from 111 to 150 relate to educational methodology and general knowledge. To put it otherwise, the questions 111 to 150 in all the questions papers are common to all candidates. At this juncture, it needs to be mentioned that the respondents published the answer keys (hereinafter referred to as first answer key) through the Internet. There were several objections in respect of the number of key answers. Therefore, the respondents obtained opinion from experts in the respective field and published the second answer key in respect of some subjects as detailed below. Now valuation has been conducted either as per the first key answer or as per the second answer key as the case may be and the results have been published. In these writ petitions, the petitioners challenge some of the key answers in each subject including educational methodology and general knowledge which are common to all candidates. [In this common order, the challenges made to the questions, in each subject, are dealt with subject wise and the challenges made to the questions in educational methodology and general knowledge, which are common to all candidates, are dealt with under a separate caption.] T A M I L

32. Now let us take up the key answers under challenge in Tamil. The first challenge is to Q.No.98 in 'A' series question paper. The question is as follows:

"98. Ie;J vd;gjid m";R vdy;
(A) Kjw;nghyp (B) Kw;Wg;nghyp (C) ,ilg;nghyp (D) filg;nghyp"

33. As per the first answer key published by the respondent Board, option (B) "Kw;Wg;nghyp" is the correct answer. Subsequently, according to the respondents, there were objections from candidates in respect of the correctness of the first key answer and therefore a second answer key was published. According to the same, no option is the correct answer and therefore the said question has been omitted from valuation.

P H Y S I C S

77. Nextly, let us move on to the challenge to key answers in Physics. In respect of Physics subject also, the Board published answer key for all the questions (hereinafter referred to as first answer key) and since objections were raised in respect of certain key answers, after consulting experts another answer key was published (hereinafter referred to as second answer key).

78. The first challenge is to Question No.2 (Booklet 'A' series) which reads as follows:

"2. According to the theorem of equipartition of energy, the average energy corresponding to temperature T is (A) 1/2 (B) 3/2 kT (C) kT (D) kT/2"