E-Paper
CBSE exams not before March, ‘dates out soon’
CBSE said earlier this month that board exams in 2021 will be conducted in the written mode and not online. Schools across the country were closed in March to contain the spread of Covid-19 and were partially reopened in some states on October 15.
Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE) tests for Class 10 and Class 12 will not be held in January or February next year, Union education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said on Tuesday, adding that the government is aware of the concerns of students and the exact dates will be declared soon.
CBSE said earlier this month that board exams in 2021 will be conducted in the written mode and not online. Schools across the country were closed in March to contain the spread of Covid-19 and were partially reopened in some states on October 15. The CBSE board exams were postponed mid-way in March and were later cancelled, with the results being announced after an alternative assessment scheme.
On Tuesday, the education minister held an online interaction with teachers from across the country. “Keeping the current situation in mind, it has been decided that the board exams for classes 10 and 12 will not be conducted up till February 2021. A decision on the exam schedule will be taken later after assessment of situation and more consultations,” he said during the interaction.
Pokhriyal also ruled out any further reduction in syllabus, pointing out that CBSE had already trimmed it by 30%. He said the government has taken every decision during the pandemic keeping the interest of the students in mind.
“In January, practical exams would begin and normally the exams would be conducted from mid-February to mid-March. Based on the present conditions, I can say holding exams will not be possible in the months of January or February. That we have decided. However, after this period, we will hold consultations and take a final decision,” the Union minister said.
Over 1.2 million students appeared for the Class 12 board exams, while about 1.8 million appeared for the Class 10 exams conducted by CBSE in 2020.
On a question about the possibility of the exams being held online, he said there was a section that did not have sufficient access to digital means. The minister said the government is trying to bridge the digital divide but it continued to remain a challenge.
Among the key exams conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and CBSE are the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) for admission to engineering schools, Class 10 and 12 exams and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for students aspiring to study medicine or dental science. In 2020, most of these exams were rescheduled, but were ultimately held with strict safety protocols in place.
An official previously said the CBSE board exams may be delayed by a few weeks from their typical February-March schedule.
Ameeta Mulla Wattal, principal of Delhi’s Springdales School, said: “There is still an amount of uncertainty and anxiety among parents regarding the board exams. Naturally, parents and students during interactions have suggested that they be postponed for a month or so from March, which is the conventional month in which these tests are generally held.”
(With PTI inputs)
