The delay in CBSE board exams by nearly three months may have a cascading effect on higher education calendar in 2021, including those of IITs, and is also likely to impact study abroad options of Indian students.
The union government-controlled CBSE has announced that Class 10th and 12th board examinations will be held from 4 May to 10 June and results will be declared by 15 July. This was done to accommodate the learning loss in 2020 due to covid-19 impact on schools which remained closed from mid-March.
The decision of the central board is likely to be considered by other state boards as well, as there is a growing demand across states to delay board exams this year. This effectively will alter the academic calendar of 2021 as universities, engineering schools, and other higher education institutions will need to adjust to a new feeder talent pipeline.
For example, in the academic year of 2018-19, Delhi University had issued the first cut-off for admission to Undergraduate Courses on 19 June after completing the initial admission process. But this year, results of CBSE and some state boards exams are not likely by mid-July.
In 2018-19 academic year, IITs had announced the results of JEE Advanced on 10 June, 2018 after completion of the JEE Main and ensuing admission process for JEE Advanced exam.
{{/usCountry}}In 2018-19 academic year, IITs had announced the results of JEE Advanced on 10 June, 2018 after completion of the JEE Main and ensuing admission process for JEE Advanced exam.
{{/usCountry}}While India’s higher education sector will need to adjust to the changes, plans of students who aspire to study abroad at the UG level will get impacted as admissions in several key countries happen much earlier even though their semesters start late.
India being a key source destination for foreign students, the alterations will have an impact on foreign universities as well. For example, India is the number two destination after China from where US universities get their students. As per official data, at least 193,124 Indian students were pursuing education in US universities. Countries like Australia, UK, Canada, New Zealand and others also get a sizable number of foreign student’s pool from India.