Exams cancelled amid Covid surge: Here’s what you should know!5 min read
Reading Time: 4 minutesAs the second wave of the dreadful coronavirus travels the length and breadth of the country, authorities are being faced to take decisions regarding the safety of the people. Keeping the fast-spreading virus in mind, the education ministry announced that the CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) board will cancel Class 10 exams, while Class 12 exams will be postponed. This decision was made after experts and lawmakers met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This will be the first time the CBSE has completely cancelled board exams, which will affect over 21 lakh students across India. CISCE (Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations), the other prominent national board, is yet to make a decision, and will be making an announcement soon. The CBSE said it will review the situation on June 1 regarding holding Class 12 exams, and will declare the results for Class 10 based on some criteria decided by the board.
Owliver’s Obscure Observations
Before decisions were made regarding board exams, thousands of students demanded cancellations of offline papers or a postponement for now. While many suggested replacing upcoming board exams with online assignments, others demanded to conduct the board exams in an online mode. This became a campaign on Twitter, with students using the hashtag #cancelboardexams2021 to spread their message.
Here’s how the states are handling the situation:
Uttar Pradesh
Seventeen out of 19 officials meant to take a call on holding examinations tested positive for Covid-19 in UP. The Uttar Pradesh Education Board has decided to keep schools and colleges closed till May 15, after which a decision on exams will be taken.
Karnataka
The Karnataka government Wednesday said it has not taken a decision on cancelling the state board class X exam, so for now, it will go on as per schedule. Keeping in view the situation in the future, an appropriate decision would be taken, said the education minister.
Haryana
Haryana has decided to cancel Class 10 exams, and will take a call on Class 12 exams later, but as of now, they have been postponed.
Himachal Pradesh
The Himachal Pradesh government Wednesday postponed the ongoing HP Board of School Examinations for Class 10 and 12. The undergraduate university examinations starting on April 17 have been postponed as well. The issue will be reviewed at the government level on May 1.
Rajasthan
The Rajasthan government on Wednesday postponed the Class 10 and 12 board examinations Students of Classes 8, 9 and 11 will be promoted.
Meghalaya
Meghalaya state board Class 12 exams will be held as per schedule with utmost precaution, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said.
Maharashtra
Maharashtra Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad had Monday announced the postponement of SSC and HSC exams due to the extreme spike in Covid-19 cases in the state. Gaikwad had said the entrance exams for professional courses and Class 12 board exams will be held by May end, while Class X exams will be held in June. The final exam timetable and dates would be declared on the board website once the situation stabilises.
Owliver’s Obscure Observations
India has conducted more than 25 crore tests so far, with over 13 lakh sampled in a day. Amid rising cases, the central government has urged states to increase the percentage of RT-PCR tests to over 70%.
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education has postponed the examinations of Classes 10 and 12 an official said on Wednesday. The exams were scheduled to begin from April 30 and May 1.
West Bengal
The West Bengal government said an appropriate decision will be taken soon.
Tamil Nadu
The Tamil Nadu Board has decided to postpone Class 10, 12 board examinations.
Telangana
Telangana government on Thursday cancelled Class 10 exams and defered intermediate (Class 11 and 12) exams
Odisha
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has ordered suspension of Odisha Board Exam 2021 for Class 10, 12.
Gujarat
Gujarat government has postponed Gujarat Board Exams 2021 for Class 10, 12. The examination was scheduled to be conducted between May 10 to May 25, 2021.
Punjab
The Punjab government has decided to promote students of Class 5, 8 and 10 without exams and postpone Class 12 board exams.
Goa
The board exams for Classes 10 and 12 in Goa are scheduled to begin on April 24. The state government has not yet thought of cancelling the state board exams.
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh will conduct AP Board Exams 2021 for Classes 10 and 12 as per schedule. The Class 10 exams will begin in June and Class 12 in May.
IB follows too
The International Baccalaureate (IB) cancelled its examinations across the country. There are 185 schools in India following the IB’s curriculum. Students who seek admission in schools abroad or those whose parents are mostly transferred to foreign countries, usually opt for exams under this board.
Owliver is here to remind you to stay home, stay safe, mask up and wash your hands regularly!
Sources: The Indian Express, NDTV, Times of India
