You’ll gain from tough times: PM
Two days after the Centre cancelled the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 board examinations in view of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday interacted with several class 12 students and their parents and suggested that they learn from “tough experiences” and gain strength from them.
Modi joined a virtual interactive session organised by the ministry of education for Class 12 students and their parents unannounced, taking them by surprise. At a meeting on Tuesday chaired by the PM, it was
decided to call off the Class 12 exams conducted by CBSE in view of the raging pandemic.
The PM asked students how they feel about the cancellation of board exams, and advised them not to get stressed. He said that the decision to cancel exams was taken in the interest of students.
“...we learn from these tough times. You will gain a lot of strength from these tough experiences. You will achieve new feats in whichever field that you choose. We always speak about team spirit; we are given lessons about united strength. However, during the pandemic, we got an opportunity to learn, understand and experience the strength of unity. We witnessed how people collectively helped each other and how the country, through team spirit, faced a tough challenge. The experience of public participation and team spirit (gained during the pandemic), will give us a renewed strength,” Modi said.
During the interaction, several students and parents shared their experiences with the Prime Minister about how the announcement of the cancellation of exams brought relief for them and ended a long spell of uncertainty.
Nandan Hegde, a Class 12 student from Karnataka, said, “This was not the last exam of my life and we are really grateful that the government has decided to cancel them prioritising the interest of students.”
Students also said that the cancellation of exams will give them more time to prepare for their competitive exams.
Appreciating the “positive attitude” of students, the PM said, “After interacting with you, I have realised that India’s youth is positive as well as practical…”