PM Modi to meet Education Minister, officials to discuss CBSE
CBSE Board Exams 2021 - Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be holding a meeting with the Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank', Secretary and other important officials today at 12 noon to discuss the issue of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) board exams for Classes 10 and 12 students. The final decision on the CBSE Board exams can be expected today. Several students, academicians, and politicians have demanded the cancellation of board exams amid growing COVID-19 numbers.
The CBSE board exams for Class 10 and Class 12 students will begin on May 4. Class 10 exams will end on June 7 and Class 12 exams will end on June 11.
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Earlier various CBSE board exams students had called to cancel the papers owing to rising COVID-19 cases across the states. Various state heads also supported the call to cancel both CBSE and state board exams. India had reported the highest-ever single-day spike in COVID-19 cases with over 1.84 lakh new cases and more than 1,000 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday.
Over 2 lakh students have signed an online petition demanding cancellation of board exams and the hasthtag "cancelboardexams" on microblogging site Twitter.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia appealed to the Centre to cancel the exams saying the examination centres can become super spreaders and alternative methods for assessment need to be explored.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi had urged Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal to intervene and direct CBSE to reconsider its decision to go ahead with the board examinations in May despite the "massive and uncontrolled" rise in COVID-19 cases.
The Shiv Sena in Maharashtra had also written to the education ministry, requesting the government to develop a national consensus and possibly reschedule Class 10 and 12 CBSE and other board exams.Maharashtra Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad postponed SSC (Class 10) and HSC (Class 12) exams conducted by the state board.
Earlier, CBSE students had started sharing memes requesting the government to cancel the board exams.
However, CBSE had said the board will take all the necessary precautions to conduct these exams safely and there is no announcement of postponement.
CBSE's controller of exam Dr Bhardwaj recently advised students to continue their preparation and not to believe in rumours. “We will not leave any stone unturned for the students...focus on your studies, do not listen to any rumor and false pretense,” he had said.