CBSE class 12 exams postponed, class 10 exams cancelled

The Centre on Wednesday decided to postpone the class 12 board exams for the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), which were scheduled to be held from May 4 to June 14, in view of the rising coronavirus cases across the country. Meanwhile, board exams for students of class 10 have been cancelled.

The exams for class 12 will be held at a later date. "The situation will be reviewed on 1st June 2021 by the Board, and details will be shared subsequently. A notice of at least 15 days will be given before the start of the examinations," Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank tweeted.

1. The Board Exams for Class XIIth to be held from May 4th to June, 14th, 2021 are hereby postponed. These exams will be held hereafter.

- Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) April 14, 2021

2. The Board Exams for Class Xth to be held from 4th May to June 14th, 2021 are hereby cancelled. The results of Class Xth Board will be prepared on the basis of an objective criterion to be developed by the Board.

- Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) April 14, 2021

The results of class 10 will be prepared on the basis of an objective criterion to be developed by the board, he said, adding that candidates who are not satisfied with the marks allocated to them on this basis will be given an opportunity to sit in an exam as and when the conditions are conducive to hold the exams.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting  to review the examinations to be held at various levels in view of the developing COVID-19 situation.Besides Nishank, the meeting was attended by Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Cabinet Secretary, School and Higher Education Secretaries and other top officials.

The prime minister reiterated that the well-being of the students has to be the top priority for the government. He also stated that the Centre would keep in mind the best interests of the students and ensure that their health is taken care of while at the same time their academic interests are not harmed.

CBSE had announced in February this year that class 10 and 12 exams will start on May 4 with all exams to be held in offline-written mode. The announcement was made at a time when daily coronavirus cases had dipped to fewer than 15,000. However, in the preceding 24 hours on Wednesday morning, India registered 1,84,372 fresh COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day spike since the pandemic began last year.

Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had appealed to the Centre to cancel the exams in the wake of the massive spike in COVID caseload across the country.

Also read: CBSE Board Exam 2021: Demand to cancel Class 10, 12 exams grows louder; students start meme fest