No exams for higher classes, retirement age 60 in Tamil Nadu

With an eye on the coming Assembly elections, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday made fresh announcements that would cheer students and gover nment employees.

Making a suo motu statement in the Legislative Assembly, Palaniswami said all students of classes IX, X and XI will be declared passed without conducting examination for this year in view of the extraordinary situation posed by the “COVID-19” pandemic. The methodology for awarding marks for the students was being evolved, he added. This means only class XII students would have to write the board examinations this year. He claimed the decision was taken on representations from sections of parents and in consultation with educationists.

In another suo motu statement, he announced that the retirement age of all state gover nment employees including teachers was being raised from 59 to 60. The original retirement age was 58.