Haryana to hold Class 12 exams in core subjects, curtailed format

Exams in main subjects such as math, biology, physics, chemistry, political science, English, Hindi, history, geography and accountancy

The Board of School Education Haryana (BSEH) will conduct the Class 12 final exams only for main core subjects in a curtailed format. As many as 2.7 lakh students are to take the exams that have been held up due to the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Each exam will be of one-and-a-half hours instead of three hours and students’ own schools will be the exam centres. The paper will have only objective and short-answer questions. (Manoj Dhaka/HT file)

“We will conduct board exams for Class 12 students in a curtailed format. Each exam will be of one-and-a-half hours instead of three hours and students’ own schools will be the exam centres. The paper will have only objective and short-answer questions,” board secretary Rajiv Prasad said on Monday.

He said a review meeting of the board is scheduled on June 1.

15-day notice to students before exams

“The board will give a 15-day notice to students for the exams. Our focus is on conducting the exams in a safe and secure environment. All exams will be conducted by following the Covid-19 guidelines,” he said.

On the Class 10 results, Prasad said that the state board will declare its results on the pattern of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

Prasad said that Haryana education minister Kanwar Pal and he had taken part in the meeting chaired by defence minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday on holding the CBSE Class 12 exams. The meeting was attended by education ministers and board secretaries of all states in which Union education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal, information and broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar and women and child welfare minister Smriti Irani were present.

Vaccination before exams, say parents

Parents and students gave a mixed response to the state board’s decision. Many want the inoculation drive to be done before the children take the exams.

“We want the board to conduct the Class 12 exams only once the situation improves and children are vaccinated. Why did the board not conduct exams with a curtailed format in March when the situation was better?” said Krishan Kumar, a parent from Bhiwani.

To this, Prasad said that most of the students are aged below 18 years and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has not included this age group for vaccination yet.

“We need to check with the government if vaccines can be given to students below 18 years. As of now, we have not taken any decision of vaccinating students and teachers before the exams,” Prasad said.