New Delhi: The CBSE Class 12 board exams have been postponed and the Class 10 exams have been cancelled, the government said Wednesday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with top officials to discuss demands to cancel them because of the massive Covid spike across the country.
The Board Exams for Class 12, which were to be held from May 4 to June 14, have been put off. The results of the Class 10 board exam would be prepared “on the basis of an objective criterion to be developed by the Board”, the government said.
The decision was taken amid spiraling Covid cases in the deadly second wave of infections. This morning, India recorded 1,84,372 new coronavirus infections in the highest single-day rise so far, with 1,027 deaths, the NDTV reported.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were among those who have urged the central government to cancel the exams and 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 asked the centre to defer the exams, flagging the second surge in many states.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi 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 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.
