New Delhi: A day after Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra demanded that the CBSE Board exams for Class 10, 12 be either cancelled or rescheduled in view of the COVID-19 situation in the country, another leader has asked the central board to reconsider its decision. Notably, PMK (Paattali Makkal Katchi, a political party in Tamil Nadu) founder S Ramadoss has asked the CBSE and Tamil Nadu Board to cancel the 10th and 12th board examinations as Covid-19 is spreading fast in the state.
In a statement, Ramadoss expressed shock at CBSE authorities gearing up to hold 10th and 12th standard board exams at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic is spreading fast. Ramadoss said if exams are to be held then CBSE can hold the same online. For Tamil Nadu state board 12th class exams, Ramadoss said the exams should be cancelled and the students should be declared as pass based on their performance in the school exams.
Earlier on Thursday, Priyanka Gandhi had lambasted the CBSE, saying, “It is downright irresponsible of boards like the CBSE to force students to sit for exams under the prevailing circumstances. Board exams should either be cancelled, rescheduled or arranged in a manner that does not require the physical presence of children at crowded exam centres.”
According to the revised date sheet for CBSE board exams 2021, the Class 10 exams would be held between May 4 and June 7 and those for Class 12 would be held between May 4 and June 15.
India is seeing over one lakh cases every day for the past few days and on Saturday morning, the country reported over 1.45 lakh new COVID-19 cases.
There have been demands from students for holding online examinations and over one lakh students have already signed a petition to the CBSE in this regard. CBSE officials, however, said as per COVID guidelines exam centres across the country have been increased by 40-50 per cent to ensure social distancing among students.
(With agency inputs)