Students demand cancellation of Odisha Class 10 exam, stage protest outside Naveen Patnaik’s residence

Bhubaneswar: Seeking cancellation of the annual matriculation (class 10) examination conducted by the Odisha board in view of the situation, a large number of students on Tuesday staged a protest in front of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's residence.

The students argued that there is no clarity by the Board of Secondary Education (BSE) which conducts the annual matriculation or Class 10 examinations in the state. The BSE had earlier put on hold the examination and did not clarify whether the examination will be held in coming days or cancelled in view of the prevailing situation.

The students belonging to different government-run high schools also met School and Mass Education Minister SR Dash before marching towards the CM's residence.

Failing to get any clarity, the students later moved towards CM's residence to put forth their demand before the chief minister. Unable to meet the CM, the agitating students later staged a dharna on road at Forest Park.

They demanded that like ICSE and CBSE, the state board should cancel the Class 10 examination amidst the worsening situation in the state.

Keeping in view the spike in cases, the state government has postponed Class 10, 12 and all undergraduate and postgraduate examinations in the state, but has not officially declared cancellation of any examination.