Major decision on CBSE Class 12 exams likely today

The Union Education Ministry is likely to announce the decision on Class 12 Board exams on Tuesday after a review of the COVID-19 situation across the country. The date and format of the exams will be announced in due time. The Centre is mulling other options and changes in the exam format.

"You are free to take whatever decision. But there is hope expressed by the petitioner that the policy adopted last year can be adopted this year. If the government is departing from last year decisions then give tangible reasons," the Supreme Court had said on May 31 while hearing a plea seeking cancellation of class 12 board exams.

State governments came out with two options to conduct exams during a meeting with the Centre last month. One option was to only conduct exams for major subjects for this year whereas the other option was to conduct shorter exams. While the states were against cancelling the exams, they supported conducting shorter exams.

As per the presentation given on the same, the duration of the exams could be cut short to one-and-a-half hour or 90 minutes from the original three hours format. Question papers will also be designed as per the reduced syllabus. Questions in the exams will be "multiple options types... based on the existing pattern of objective and very short answer type questions," according to the CBSE.

Shorter exams for class 12 students can be conducted in students' own schools to avoid much travelling, said CBSE. Besides, exams can be conducted in two shifts to ensure COVID-19 norms are followed.

Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wrote to Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and said that Class 12 board exams should not be held in the times of coronavirus pandemic.

"I once again urge you to reconsider holding the CBSE 12th board exams and to consider the above suggestions made by them very, very seriously. It will be great injustice if they are pushed into circumstances that endanger their lives when it is completely unnecessary and it will be a great pity if we let them down at this trying time in their lives," Gandhi stated in her letter.

Edited by Mehak Agarwal

Also read: Class 12 board exams: SC hearing adjourned till June 3; FICCI urges Centre to cancel exams