The Ministry of Education (MOE) has called a crucial meeting on Sunday to decide on pending Class 12 board exams that were postponed in view of the second wave of COVID-19, Union minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' said.
The meeting will be held with all the States/UT education ministers, education secretaries and chairpersons of state examination boards and stakeholders to discuss the proposals for the conduct of examinations for Class 12 and entrance examinations for professional courses.
According to a release by MOE, the meeting will be chaired by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in the presence of Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank'. Union Ministers Smriti Irani and Prakash Javadekar will also be present at the meeting.
"The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education and CBSE are exploring options regarding conducting the examinations, keeping in mind the safety and security of the students and the teachers. The Department of Higher Education is also deliberating upon the finalization of the dates of examinations for institutions of higher learning," Pokhriyal stated in its letter to the states and UTs.
The letter further noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected various areas including the education sector, particularly the board exams and entrance exams.
"In view of the prevailing situation, almost all the State Education Boards, CBSE and ICSE have postponed their Class XII examinations. Similarly, the National Testing Agency (NTA) and other National exam conducting institutions have also postponed the entrance exams for admissions to professional courses," the letter read.
Taking to Twitter, Pokhriyal has also sought inputs from all the stakeholders - students, parents, teachers and others through the microblogging site.
"The Prime Minister has desired that any decision affecting the careers of his beloved students has to be taken in wide consultations with all state governments and stakeholders. I recently held a meeting with the State Education Secretaries in this regard," the Union Minister tweeted.
"The consultative process will be further strengthened through a high-level meeting to be chaired by Defence Minister @rajnathsingh Ji, also to be attended by my cabinet colleagues @smritiirani Ji and @PrakashJavdekar Ji. All the State Government Education Ministers and Secretaries have been requested to attend this meeting and to share their valuable views with regards to upcoming examinations. This virtual meeting will take place at 11.30 AM on May 23," his tweet read.
"Friends, I need "YOUR" valuable suggestions too. You can send them on my Twitter handle," he added.
The CBSE had on April 14 announced cancellation of Class 10 exams and postponed Class 12 exams in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The CBSE had announced that a decision on the Class 12 board exams will be taken on or after June 1. A section of students and parents have been demanding that the Class 12 exams be cancelled in view of the pandemic situation.
The CBSE had earlier this month announced the marking policy for Class 10 board exams.
