Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has asked Centre to consider cancelling CBSE Board exams 2021
In light of rising COVID-19 cases across the nation, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has requested the Centre to consider cancelling Classes 10 and 12 CBSE Board exams 2021. “Six lakh children in Delhi are going to write CBSE exams. Nearly one lakh teachers will be a part of it. These can become major hotspots leading to the large-scale spreading of Corona. Children's lives and health is very important to us. I request Centre to cancel CBSE exams,” Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said.
"Some alternative methods could be thought of. Children can be promoted this time on the basis of either an online method or internal assessment. But CBSE exams should be cancelled," Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal added.
Lately, the Directorate of Education (DoE) said that students of Classes 9 to 12 will not be called to school for classes or exams. Delhi Disaster Management Authority has issued directions that schools will not be reopened for any other academic or non-academic activities.
CBSE Class 10 and Class 12 board exams are scheduled to be held in May. Fearing the deadly coronavirus, students across the nation have been demanding postponement of the CBSE board exams for a long time now. Over one lakh students have signed a petition on change.org demanding that the CBSE board exam 2021 be cancelled. Students have requested the Education Ministry to cancel “all examinations” as students are “already under a lot of stress”. Lakhs of students and parents have also taken to Twitter asking for cancellation or postponement of board exams.
Several leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had also asked for a postponement in the exams.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank "to do the right thing" by cancelling CBSE Board exams.
The Congress general secretary has written to the education minister seeking cancellation of the CBSE Board exams, saying it will be impossible to ensure the safety of students at crowded exam centres.
The Maharashtra Government has also written to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) and other boards to reconsider their exam dates.
“Your health is our priority. Given the nature and the spread of COVID-19, the government feels conducting board exams at this stage isn't conducive at all. So we've postponed ours, and have now written to CBSE, CISCE, Cambridge Assessment International Education and International Baccalaureate to reschedule theirs,” School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad said today.
The ruling Shiv Sena in Maharashtra has also appealed to the Centre to take a uniform decision on the board exams of Classes 10 and 12 across the country.
However, both the Central Board of Secondary Education and Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations have not taken any decision in this regard yet.