Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday made an appeal to the Centre to cancel the class 10 and 12 board exams and explore alternative methods like online exams or internal assessments in view of the rising cases of Covid-19 in the national capital.
Warning that conducting the exams may contribute to the large-scale spread of the virus, Kejriwal in a press conference said, Six lakh children in Delhi are going to write CBSE exams. Nearly one lakh teachers will be a part of it. These (the centres) can become major hotspots leading to the large-scale spreading of coronavirus. Children’s lives and health are important to us.
Appealing to the Centre to cancel the board exams, he said the Central Board of Secondary Education can explore other methods, including online exams and promoting students on the basis of internal assessments. Several countries have done it, some states in India are doing it too. Some alternative method could be thought of, children can be promoted this time on the basis of an online method or their internal assessment, but the exam should be cancelled, he added.
As per the revised date sheet for CBSE board exams, 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.
A fresh surge of 13,500 Covid cases, the highest single-day spike, has pushed the total caseload to 7,36,788 in Delhi. At the peak of the third Covid-19 wave in November, Delhi had seen the biggest single-day surge of 8,500 cases. The fourth wave, as we all know, is much more dangerous. Youth and children are getting affected amid the fourth wave, said the chief minister during a video address this afternoon.
Amid the huge spike in Covid cases, Kejriwal urged the citizens to step out of homes only if absolutely necessary and appealed to all those above 45 years of age to get vaccinated. Also, we are requesting doctors and patients to ensure treatment at homes for those having less severe symptoms. Please heed the doctors’ advice in this regard, said Kejriwal.
The Delhi government has said 14 private hospitals have been made full Covid-19 hospitals and asked them not to admit patients other than those infected with the coronavirus. Eighty-two private hospitals have been directed to keep 60 percent of their ICU beds for Covid patients, according to the order.