Final decision on CBSE class 12 board exams by June 1. Express Photo by Gurmeet Singh/ Representational imageCBSE Board Class 12 Exams 2021 Live News Updates: The Education Ministry had asked all the states and union territories (UTs) to send their suggestions on class 12 board examinations by May 25. After participating in a meeting convened by the Centre on the Class 12 board exams conducted on May 23.
In their feedback to the Education Ministry this week, as many as 32 states and Union Territories (UTs) have supported CBSE’s proposal to go ahead with the Class 12 Board examination, with only four — Delhi, Maharashtra, Goa, and Andaman & Nicobar — categorically opposing pen-and-paper examinations, The Indian Express has learned.
The CBSE had proposed two options to the Education Ministry for evaluation of Class 12 students — conducting exams in the existing format only for around 20 major subjects or conducting one-and-half hour objective type exams of major subjects for students in their own schools.
However, several states such as Kerala, Assam, Delhi, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Meghalaya have urged the Central government to vaccinate teachers and students on priority to ensure their safety during their time at the test centre.
CBSE Date sheet will be released 15 days prior to exams. (Representational image)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today announced to hold class 12 exams in late July while class 10 tests in mid-August. Earlier, the madhyamik (class 10) exams were to take place on June 1, while the Higher Secondary (class 12) exams were slated for June 15. Read more.
The Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) on Thursday announced that the practical exams for second-year intermediate students have been postponed. The decision has been taken due to the rise in the number of COVID cases The practical exams for second-year inter students were scheduled to be conducted from May 29-June 7. Read more.
The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday said it was postponing the year-end examinations of Class 10, scheduled to be conducted from the first week of June. The government informed this to the High Court that was hearing a petition filed by some parents seeking cancellation of the Class 10 examinations in view of the virulent spread of coronavirus. Read more.
Only Rajasthan, Tripura, Telangana have indicated a preference for Option A, or the existing format. Under Option A, exams for the 19 major subjects will be held in the “existing format” at designated examination centres, while marks for minor subjects are to be calculated based on performance in major subjects. The three states that opted for this format are learned to have justified their choice on the ground that students may not be comfortable with last-minute changes in the examination format.
Of the 32 that have said yes to the exams, about 29 states and UTs have either indicated a preference for CBSE’s Option B or agreed to support the Centre’s decision on the matter. Under Option B, exams for major subjects will be conducted in the students’ own schools, instead of at designated centres, and each exam will be for a shorter duration of 90 minutes.
States such as Punjab, Jharkhand, Sikkim, Daman and Diu have suggested that the examination should be held only after all students and teachers are vaccinated. While Kerala and Assam have also mentioned vaccination in their feedback, their support for holding Board examination doesn’t hinge on it.
Haryana Education Minister Kanwar Pal said, “As the Union government has announced, we are also in favour of conducting Class 12 exams. We shall do it accordingly, as per instructions received from the Union government. We are completely ready to conduct the examinations”.
Kerala General Education Secretary Mohammed Hanish told The Indian Express that the state has communicated its readiness to conduct the CBSE Board exam. “We haven’t taken any stand on the two options suggested by the CBSE Board. It was left to the Board to decide. Kerala has a track record of conducting state Board exams after ensuring social distancing and other Covid-19 protocol,” he said. Read more.
Delhi, Maharashtra, Goa, and Andaman & Nicobar — categorically opposing pen-and-paper examinations. Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia had earlier urged the central government to vaccinate all students and teachers before conducting Class 12 board exams and entrance test.
After the high-level meeting, all states and UTs had to submit their suggestions to the Education Ministry. In their feedback to the ministry this week, as many as 32 states and Union Territories (UTs) have supported CBSE’s proposal to go ahead with the Class 12 Board examination.
Students Federation of India (SFI), the students wing of the CPI(M) Wednesday urged West Bengal education minister Bratya Basu to ensure that students of classes 10 and 12 do not lag behind from examinees of other boards in the wake of the decision to postpone the class 10 and12 exams of the state due to COVID-19 situation.
“When the education department will finalise (dates for 12th board exams) then the health department will see how to maintain COVID protocols in centers. We’ve conducted panchayat polls and other programs following COVID protocols. So, it won’t be difficult for us.” UP Health Minister Jai Pratap Singh told ANI on conducting of UP board Class 12 exams.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Dinesh Sharma said that he will discuss the class 12 board exam matter with the state CM and a decision is likely by month end. "We have already printed the papers, made sets of decoded copies, & allocated 8,513 centers to follow social distancing during examinations. We're analysing COVID situation." he told ANI.
JEE-Advanced) 2021 which was scheduled to be conducted on July 3 has been postponed until further notice. IIT Kharagpur, the organising institute for the exam, has released a notification on their website stating that the exam stands postponed amid rise in COVID-19 cases across the country.
Around 300 students of Class 12 on Tuesday sent a letter petition to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana to quash the decision of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to conduct physical examination amid the COVID-19 pandemic. -- ANI
In a recent meeting with Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) are learnt to have requested the government to expedite vaccination of their students to facilitate their return to the campus. According to sources, the IITs urged the Centre to step in and help vaccinate their students on priority, as state governments have been unable to procure enough vaccines for those in the 18-44 age group. Many IITs still have students living on campus. Read more
Punjab Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla on Tuesday asked the Centre to ensure vaccination of Class 12 students before taking a decision on holding board exams 2021. Delhi has made a similar suggestion to the Centre asking it to vaccinate children before they appear for the examinations.
-- PTI
While the Union government is waiting for feedback from states on whether to hold the Class 12 board examination this year, Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal is learned to have underlined the importance of the school-leaving examination at the national consultation held on Sunday, which was echoed by senior officers of the ministry. Read more
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said that holding the class 12 board examinations in the state would not be appropriate in the wake of the present COVID-19 situation. “If the suggestions received from the stakeholders are considered, there is a consensus on the postponement of the examination. People feel that maintaining social distance will not be possible if the exams are conducted and children can get infected,” Soren said. Read more.