NE EDUCATION BUREAU
NEW DELHI, APR 14
Union government has deferred the Class 12 board exams and Class 10 exams have been cancelled because of a nationwide Covid surge that had led to parents, students and various states demanding that the exams be scrapped.
The big announcement followed a meeting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi held in the afternoon with top officers, the Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank in series of tweets.
The situation will be reviewed on 1st June 2021 by the Board, and details will be shared subsequently. A notice of at least 15 days will be given before the start of the examinations.
— Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank ( Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrRPNishank) April 14, 2021
He also stated that the Centre would keep in mind the best interests of the students and ensure that their health is taken care of at the same time their academic interests are not harmed.
— Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank ( Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrRPNishank) April 14, 2021
Any candidate who is not satisfied with the marks allocated to him/her on this basis will be given an opportunity to sit in an exam as and when the conditions are conducive to hold the exams.
— Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank ( Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrRPNishank) April 14, 2021
The CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) exams for Class 12, which were to be held from May 4 to June 14, have been postponed, said Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank in tweets.
A decision would be taken on them on June 1, he said, adding that students would have at least 15 days’ notice before the exams.
On the Class 10 exams, the minister said the results would be prepared “on the basis of an objective criterion to be developed by the Board” and any student not satisfied with their marks would be given the chance to take the exam when conditions would allow them.
PM Modi said in the meeting that “the well being of students has to be the top priority for the government”, said a statement.
He reportedly also said the Centre would keep in mind the best interests of students, ensuring their health was taken care of but their academic interests were not harmed.
It was discussed in the meeting that the country was seeing a resurgence of Covid cases in many states and some had been affected more than the others. Unlike state boards, the CBSE had to hold exams simultaneously throughout the country.
Covid cases have been spiraling in the deadly second wave of infections. The nation has recorded 1,84,372 new coronavirus infections in the highest single-day rise so far, with 1,027 deaths.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were among those who had urged the centre to cancel the exams to prevent millions of students from being exposed to infection.
Arvind Kejriwal, pointing to the alarming rise in virus cases in Delhi, said on Tuesday: “Six lakh students in the city will appear for board exams. One lakh teachers will be on duty. Conducting board exams can lead to largescale spread of coronavirus… alternative methods of assessment can be explored. Students can be promoted on basis of either online exams or internal assessment. The board exams should be cancelled.”
This morning, his Punjab counterpart Amarinder Singh also asked the centre to defer the exams, flagging the second surge in many states.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi had urged the government to consult with all stakeholders before making “sweeping” decisions.
“In the light of the devastating Corona second wave, conducting #CBSE exams must be reconsidered. All stakeholders must be consulted before making sweeping decisions. On how many counts does (the government) intend to play with the future of India’s youth,” posted Mr Gandhi.
His sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Congress General Secretary said it would be “downright irresponsible” of boards like the CBSE to force students to sit for the exams in the circumstances. “Board exams should either be cancelled, rescheduled or arranged in a manner that does not require the physical presence of children at crowded exam centres,” she wrote last week.
A body of parents had also written to PM Modi requesting that students be assessed internally instead of having to sit for exams physically.
The India Wide Parents Association pointed out in their letter that teachers and students had not been vaccinated yet and there was a higher chance of infection among them.
Tens of Thousands of students signed petitions urging the government to either cancel board exams or conduct them online recently.
