In a significant move, the central government has decided to discontinue the No Detention Policy, which had been in place under the Right to Education Act. This decision will require students in grades 5 and 8 to pass their annual exams in order to advance to the next grade. Students who fail will not be permitted to proceed to higher classes.
The new directive mandates that passing exams is compulsory for students in these grades. In cases where students fail, a retest will be conducted within two months. If they pass the retest, they will be allowed to continue to the next grade.
This policy change applies only to the approximately 3,000 schools run under the central government, including Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, and Sainik Schools. It does not impact schools in states or Union Territories that have not adopted this rule.
While the central government has made this decision, it is up to individual states to decide whether to implement the No Detention Policy within their own educational systems. Notably, 16 states and two Union Territories have already abolished this policy.
This move comes as part of an effort to strengthen academic standards and ensure that students in critical grades are adequately prepared for their future educational journey.