Covid-19 | Centre wants to hold Class 12 exams with fewer subjects and reduced duration

A broad resolution has been taken that Class 12 board examinations have to be held, however with fewer subjects, and a attainable discount in duration and staggered schedules, in accordance to senior officers who attended Sunday’s on-line session of State and Central Ministers.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who chaired the assembly, has given States three extra days to focus on their choices earlier than a ultimate resolution is taken, asking them to reply in writing by Tuesday.

A vocal part of oldsters and college students have been demanding that the exams be cancelled, due to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Centre’s recommendations

The Centre really helpful that examinations solely be held in about 20 main subjects. It supplied two choices, one to hold the common three hour examinations, or to halve the duration of the examination utilizing a query paper with solely a number of selection or quick reply questions, officers mentioned.

Delhi and Maharashtra representatives wished vaccination of scholars and academics to be carried out earlier than the exams are held. Maharashtra’s (*12*) Minister additionally mentioned additional consultations can be held by the State Chief Minister earlier than coming to a place.

Several States wished for the choice to delay their examinations by a number of months, if wanted. Kerala and Bihar have already held their State board examinations. Chhattisgarh has introduced an open e book examination to begin on June 1, however Central officers warned that the validity of the outcomes will not be accepted by universities.

“We cannot play with the lives of our children by making them sit for examinations. The only way forward is to vaccinate all students at the earliest,” mentioned Delhi Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, talking at a press convention after the assembly. He mentioned college students needs to be graded primarily based on historic references of the previous few years and be given an choice of taking the examination at a later date.

Delayed NEET on the playing cards

Apart from the 14 lakh CBSE college students registered to seem for Class 12 examinations, lakhs extra are registered beneath the varied State boards of schooling, in addition to the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations. More than 1.1 crore college students be a part of larger schooling programs within the nation yearly, relying largely on their Class 12 board outcomes for admission.

With regard to skilled entrance examinations akin to NEET and JEE, the Centre is ready to hold them as late as September, as was carried out final yr, so as to give time for Class 12 exams to be accomplished, in accordance to a senior official. Tamil Nadu expressed its sturdy opposition to holding the NEET medical entrance examination in any respect. Most college admissions are seemingly to be delayed until November as soon as once more.

The digital session assembly was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by (*12*) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank. Two different Cabinet Ministers who’ve beforehand held the (*12*) portfolio, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javdekar and Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani, additionally participated, alongside with State (*12*) Ministers.