On 23rd March 2022, in an exceptional case, the Himachal Pradesh High Court permitted an 8-year-old girl Kashvi, a Class III student of Rainbow Public Senior Secondary School, Palampur, to take admission provisionally as a day scholar in Class VIII in the school.
The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq & Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua passed this order where the father of the girl wanted her to take the final exams of Class VIII.
Kashvi was born on March 12, 2014, & is studying in Class III. In the plea filed through her father Santosh Kumar of Himuda Colony, Lohna, Palampur, it has been alleged that Kashvi is an extraordinary, exceptional & intellectual child. She is blessed with the skill of grasping things quickly.
It has been alleged in the plea that at the age of 3, she learnt about the capitals of states/UTs & neighbourhood countries & to this effect, her first video was uploaded on YouTube by her father. In 2019, she had knowledge of the solar system, important days & districts of the state.
In 2020, she had knowledge about the national parks, regular & irregular forms of verbs, India & world organisations, rivers, general knowledge of the world & new folk & classical dances & these videos are available on the internet.
After considering the pleas, the court has directed the state authorities on March 2, 2022, to constitute a medical board consisting of three experts to assess her IQ level. A test was conducted on March 4 & based on assessment, her average IQ was reported by the medical board as 128.
Taking stock of every material aspect, the court doesn’t deem it appropriate to permit Kashvi to straightaway take the final examination of Class VIII. However, the court directed the authorities to provisionally admit her as a day scholar in the class.
The Court clarified in its order that her overall progress would be monitored on a regular basis by the school authorities. She had been allowed to provisionally appear in the class tests, term exams & school activities, etc.
The Court directed the Secretary, HP Board of School Education, & the school to file their reports regarding her overall progress in every field before the next date & listed the matter for hearing on April 28.
