Review COVID-19 situation on June 1 to decide on fresh dates for the Class 12 board exams.
Due to the surge in COVID-19 cases, the Class 12 examination of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has been postponed, while the Class 10 examinations have been cancelled, the Education Ministry said on Wednesday. The decision was taken after a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review the situation.
Both Class 10 and 12 board exams were scheduled to be held from May 4 to June 14. With Class 12 results being the basis for admission into higher education institutions, it has been decided to postpone the exams. CBSE will review the situation on June 1. A notice of at least 15 days will be given before the start of the examinations, said the Ministry statement.
For Class 10 students, results will be prepared on the basis of an objective criterion to be developed by the Board. Any candidate who is not satisfied with the allocated marks will be allowed to write an exam as and when conditions are conducive, said the Ministry.
The PM’s review meeting came amid rising demands from students, parents and State governments for the exams to be cancelled or postponed, given that the daily rate of COVID infections is regularly crossing the 1.5 lakh mark. During the meeting, “the Prime Minister reiterated that the well being of the students has to be the top priority for the Government. 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,” said the statement.
Schools have been completely shut down in 11 States due to the second wave of the pandemic. For many classes, schools have not reopened since the initial shutdown of March 2020. At least four State education boards scheduled to hold examinations in April have already announced postponements.
“Unlike State Boards, CBSE has an all-India character, and therefore, it is essential to hold exams simultaneously throughout the country,” said the Ministry. However, no guidelines were given for State board exams through the country, as had been demanded by some States.
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