Asked about the conduct of the exams, Poyyamozhi said, “They (Union govt) are suggesting July or August. Each state has a stand on the issue. It is related to student’s welfare. There is no use in declaring all pass for students. Tomorrow, their future could be jeopardized if the colleges admitting them refuse to accept the all pass given by states. It is not just us. All states want to definitely conduct exams. The Tamil Nadu government also wants to conduct the Class 12 exams.” Adding that they were prepared to hold the exams at a moment’s notice, he said, “Our Chief Minister will make an announcement as soon as the pandemic situation improves here. They (GoI) are giving many options. For instance, they sought to know if we can reduce the three-hour exam to 90 minutes or conduct it as an objective type exam. We presented our views as some of the options are not practically feasible.”

Stating that they sought clarification on the options given by the Centre, the minister said they offered to consult the Chief Minister and revert.

“Our primary focus is on saving the people from the virus. We are ready to take a final call when the Health Ministry informs us of a dip in cases. They asked us to mail our views before Tuesday,” the Minister added.