Govt cancels CBSE Class 10 board exams, defers Class 12 exams

NEW DELHI: The government on Wednesday cancelled the CBSE’s Class 10 board exams and postponed its Class 12 exams following an exponential surge in COVID-19 cases, a decision that will affect over 21 lakh students across the country.

This is the first time that the Central Board of Secondary Education has completely cancelled the board exams conducted by it. Last year, the exams were partially cancelled in the wake of riots in northeast Delhi and COVID-19 cases.

The decision on Wednesday was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A total of 21.5 lakh students had registered for Class 10 and 12 CBSE exams.

The CBSE will review the situation on June 1 to decide on the Class 12 exam schedule while objective criteria will be decided for Class 10 results.

The CICSE, which is the other prominent national board for school examinations, said it is reviewing the situation and will come up with a decision soon in this regard.

Several principals and educationists hailed the decision while others demanded that the criteria be decided in consultation with stakeholders.

Parents also expressed concerns about the delay in schedule saying either the board exams should be cancelled for Class 12 or a schedule should be announced soon to ease the students’ anxiety.

The CBSE will review the situation on June 1 to decide on the Class 12 exam schedule while objective criteria will be decided for Class 10 results

“The board exams for Class 12 to be held from May 4 to June 14 are hereby postponed. These exams will be held hereafter. “The situation will be reviewed on June 1 by the board and details will be shared subsequently,” an official of the Ministry of Education (MoE) said.

A notice of at least 15 days will be given before the start of the examinations.

“The board exams for Class 10 are hereby cancelled. The results of the Class 10 board will be prepared on the basis of an objective criterion to be developed by the board,” the official said.

Any candidate who is not satisfied with the marks allocated to him or 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 official added. Union Education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Cabinet Secretary, School and Higher Education Secretaries and other top officials attended the meeting.

India is seeing a resurgence of COVID-19 positive cases in many states, with a few of them affected more than others. In this situation, schools have been shut down in 11 states.

Unlike state boards, CBSE has an all-India character, and therefore, it is essential to hold exams simultaneously throughout the country. “Looking to the present situation of the pandemic and school closures, and also taking into account the safety and well-being of the students, the crucial decisions have been taken,” the MoE official said.

The demands for the cancellation of board exams were being raised from various quarters.