PM Modi to meet Education Minister, other officials today to discuss CBSE board exams

Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, PM Narendra Modi will be holding a meeting with the Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokkriyal 'Nishank', Secretary and other important officials on April 14 at 12 noon in a bid to discuss the issue of CBSE board exams for Classes 10 and 12 students, said GoI sources. CBSE has scheduled to begin the class 10th and 12th board exams from May 4. However, many students and parents have tweeted to request the education ministry to either conduct the board exams online or postpone the exams for a month or two, considering the spike in the number of COVID-19 cases.

Follow PM Modi's meeting Live Updates here.

The chorus for cancellation of upcoming board exams also grew louder after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra 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. Vadra said that it will be “practically impossible” to ensure the safety of students at large and crowded exam centres. Kejriwal said that as per the data collected in the last 10-15 days, at least 65% of the patients are below the age of 45 and reiterated the importance of the safety of especially the youth. 

Millions of students are registered to appear for the board exams. To register their protest against the CBSE exams amid the pandemic, people took to Twitter to trend #cancelboards2021 in order to bring the attention of the authorities to their demands. There have been demands from students for holding online examinations and over one lakh students have already signed a petition to the CBSE in this regard.

No change in plan ‘yet’ 

CBSE officials, on the other hand, have denied any change in plan "yet" and reiterated that the arrangements are being made to ensure social distancing by increasing examination centres by over 50 per cent. A senior board official has said that the exams cannot be cancelled as these are subjective exams that are crucial in nature and cannot be conducted online. The official added that the exam centres have been increased and all COVID protocols will be followed strictly. 

(Image: PTI)