SSLC exams a big test for Karnataka govt

BENGALURU: The Karnataka government faces possibly its biggest challenge yet, that of conducting the first public board examination for 8.48 lakh students during a pandemic, and amid worry among parents that their children will catch the dreaded disease. Despite the anxieties expressed by parents and students, the state government went ahead with the decision to hold exams with health measures in place. Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar said, “The State government has made all necessary arrangements for the safe conduct of the SSLC exams. I request parents to send their children to exam centres without any anxiety. Officials and staff are working hard to ensure that exams are conducted safely. Precautions have been taken to ensure that not a single student gets infected.” 

However, 19 of 8,48,203 students set to write the exams from Thursday will not do so: Nine are in home quarantine and 10 have tested positive and are being treated. At least 7,490 students are from containment zones. However, the government has shifted 27 examination centres located in containment zones in 11 districts to non-containment areas nearby.Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar, who inspected exam centres, said that students will write the exam at 2,879 centres across the state.

With 501 containment zones in Bengaluru alone, the department has set up two examination centres in each taluk as back-up, in case any centre gets sealed off between June 25 and July 4. Students coming from containment zones and those with fever, cough or cold will be provided N95 masks, and seated in separate rooms.

Around 1.5 lakh personnel from the police and health departments have been deployed for security, and KSRTC staff will be on transport duty, Kumar said, adding that 5,755 health check counters have been set up.Students have been asked to bring water bottles from home. If not, they will be given a water bottle at the examination hall, each of which will house only 20 students.

ALL THE BEST, CM WISHES STUDENTS
CM B S Yediyurappa on Wednesday advised students to wear masks, use hand sanitiser and maintain physical distance. “Write examinations with full confidence and without any fear or anxiety as the government has taken all necessary precautionary measures for conducting the examinations in view of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he tweeted. Former CM HD Kumaraswamy, too, advised students to take necessary precautions.