Given the surge in Covid cases, Punjab chief minister (CM) Captain Amarinder Singh has sought postponement of the Class 10 and 12 board exams, in order to allay the uncertainty among students and their parents.
The CM has written to Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal, pointing to the prevailing situation and stressing that “it would only be appropriate that a decision is taken forthwith to postpone the Class X and XII Board examinations.” This, he said, would also allow the Union Government and States to plan better for conduct of examinations once the situation normalises.
Seeking the Minister’s early intervention, the CM noted that it was difficult to precisely predict as to when the surge in Covid cases will be arrested and by when will we see a consistently declining trend.
Citing the increasing national Covid figures, Captain Amarinder said that quite understandably, “The steady increase in Covid-19 cases in most states of the country has created a sense of great apprehension and anguish among students and parents alike regarding the Board examinations for classes X and XII.” In Punjab too, the state government is receiving requests from various quarters seeking postponement of the Board examinations by the State Board as well as by CBSE and ICSE, he added.
The CBSE Board examinations for Classes 10 and 12 are currently scheduled to commence from May 4. The Punjab Board has broadly aligned its examination dates with those of CBSE.
The Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday urged the Centre to cancel CBSE board exams and consider alternatives to ensure the students’ safety. He said six lakh students will appear for exams and one lakh teachers will be involved in the examination process. The exam centres could thus become Covid hotspots.
