CBSE Class 10 exams cancelled, Class 12 exams postponed

NEW DELHI, Apr 14
The Central Government on Wednesday announced the cancellation of CBSE board exams for Class 10 and postponed Class 12 exams which were scheduled for May-June in the wake of the Coronavirus crisis, officials said.
The revised dates will be announced after June 1, officials said.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the wake of rising cases of Coronavirus disease (Covid-19). The meeting was attended by Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank', Education Secretary and other officials.
In a statement issued after the meeting, the Union Education Ministry said, "Looking at the present situation of the pandemic and school closures, and also taking in account the safety and well-being of the students, it is decided as follows. The Board Exams for Class 12 to be held from May 4th to June, 14th, 2021 are hereby postponed. These exams will be held hereafter."
The situation will be reviewed on 1st June 2021 by the Board, and details will be shared subsequently, the official statement read.
A notice of at least 15 days will be given before the start of the examinations, the statement added.
For Class 10, officials have decided to promote the students on the basis of internal assessment. "The results of Class Xth Board will be prepared on the basis of an objective criterion to be developed by the Board. 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," the statement added.
According to the official statement, PM Modi said that the Government 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.
Noting that the pandemic is seeing a resurgence in many regions of the country, with a few States affected more than others, officials said that schools have been shut in 11 States. "Unlike State boards, CBSE has an all-India character, and therefore, it is essential to hold exams simultaneously throughout the country," the statement read.
The exams were originally scheduled for May and June.
Many Chief Ministers had written to PM Modi seeking postponement of the Class 10 and 12 board exams in the wake of rising number of Covid-19 cases including Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.
In his letter to Pokhriyal, Singh pointed to the prevailing Covid-19 situation and stressed that "it would only be appropriate that a decision is taken forthwith to postpone the Class 10 and 12 Board examinations".
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had also written to PM Modi, urging that the board exams should be deferred.
Several States, including Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, have already postponed their board examinations amid rising Covid-19 cases.
Last week, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi had urged Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal to intervene and direct CBSE to reconsider its decision to go ahead with the board exams in May.
Gripped by the second wave of coronavirus which has been termed as worsening and highly infectious by the experts, India on Wednesday recorded the highest-single day jump of 184,372 fresh cases of Covid-19, which took the country’s total infection tally past 13.87 million, according to the latest figures released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The daily toll from the viral disease has gone up to 1,027. This is the first time in over five months that the fatalities have crossed the 1000-mark.
The grim figures come on the last day of ‘Tika Utsav’ (vaccination festival) during which Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for mass participation in the immunisation drive across the country.
A day earlier, the Centre confirmed that the second wave of the viral contagion has crossed the previous highest surge and the upward trend of the infections is a cause of concern. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan pointed out that the trend in India's Covid-19 cases trajectory in the second wave is "worrying".
"We have 89.51% people who have been cured, 1.25% deaths and 9.24% active cases. If we look at new cases, we will find that the previous highest surge has already been crossed and the trend is going upward. That is a cause for worry," Bhushan said during a press conference.
Hindustan Times