CBSE Class 10 board exams cancelled, Class 12 exams postponed: Education Minister

The Ministry of Education has agreed to postpone the class 12 exams and cancel the board examinations of class 10 after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The matter will be reviewed for CBSE class 12 boards on 1 June and will be updated by the following dates.

The results will be prepared for students of CBSE Class 10 based on 'objective criteria' which the Board will create. Any applicant not happy with the marks on that basis will be allowed to take the exam when the conditions are favourable for conducting the examinations. Also last year CBSE designed a new programme for students in class 10.

Amid increasing demand for cancellation of the examinations, the Ministry of Education and CBSE met earlier this week. The meeting held today not only considers CBSE but may also include a standardised policy or guidance on national examinations as requested by several ministers of state.

The ministry said in a press release, "The results of Class X will be prepared according to the Board's objective criteria. Any student not happy on this basis with the marks assigned to her/him will be given the opportunity to sit on an examination if and when the circumstances are favourable in holding the exams."

#cbseforstudents @DrRPNishank @EduMinOfIndia@AkashvaniAIR@narendramodi @PTI_News @PIB_India @@DDNewslive pic.twitter.com/NCWnUJV9wX

— CBSE HQ (@cbseindia29) April 14, 2021

Concerning the Class 12 exam, the government will take the appropriate action on June 1 to determine new dates and will announce at least two weeks before the exam begins.

1. The Board Exams for Class XIIth to be held from May 4th to June, 14th, 2021 are hereby postponed. These exams will be held hereafter.

— Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) April 14, 2021

The Class 10 and 12 exams were originally scheduled to begin on May 4.

Officials from the ministry, on the other hand, stated that cancelling or conducting online exams for Class 12 students is not a choice. “The CBSE is a national Board with students from all over the world. It is not necessary to hold the exam online on such short notice. “How can the student become acquainted with the online pattern so quickly?” an official asked.

The announcement arrives in the midst of an increase in coronavirus cases across the country, as well as a rising chorus of student voices and state governments calling for the Board exams to be postponed.

Arvind Kejriwal urged the union government to rethink the exam schedule on Tuesday. Maharashtra has made a similar proposal to the Education Ministry, demanding that a national consensus be established and that Class X and XII CBSE and other school Board exams be rescheduled.

The appeal has also been supported by the opposition. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have urged Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal to intervene and guide CBSE to reconsider its decision to hold Board exams in May considering the “massive and uncontrolled” increase in Covid-19 cases. Vadra claimed in her letter that lakhs of children and their parents have expressed "fears and apprehensions" about gathering at examination centres in the middle of the second wave of Covid-19. She also urged the government to consult with all stakeholders before making "significant decisions."

Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh school boards have already postponed their board exams.