A day after the Centre decided to cancel Class XII board examinations of CBSE, many states have followed suit, while others said that they will be taking final decisions soon on the issue.
Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana and Maharashtra have opted not to conduct the class 12 examinations in view of Covid-19 pandemic, while West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh will soon decide the fate of lakhs of students who are eligible to sit in the examinations. Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant has decided to cancel the class 12 board examinations.
Anurag Tripathi, Secretary, CBSE, has said that they were in the midst of structuring the criteria for class 12 evaluation and it will be put in the public domain once it is completed. He urged parents, teachers, principals and students to wait for it and not panic.
As per media reports, two formulae were being explored to mark students for the scrapped exams. The first option is to assess the students on the basis of their performances in classes 10, 11 final exams and class 12 internal exams. The other option is to give weightage to class 10 board exam results, and internal assessments in class 12. According to CBSE officials, structuring criteria for evaluation of class 12 students will take at least two weeks.
On Tuesday, the Central government decided that CBSE class 12 board examinations would not be held this year in view of the “uncertain conditions due to Covid-19 and the feedback obtained from various stakeholders”.
Meanwhile, Delhi University has decided that whatever mechanisms the CBSE compiles for merit lists will be followed for admissions this year. Delhi University Vice-Chancellor P.C. Joshi said that the common entrance test can also be implemented if the Ministry of Education approves the same.
Joshi added, “We support the government’s decision and the safety of students is of utmost importance. We look forward to the decision taken by the CBSE regarding the declaration of the results.”
The decision to cancel the examinations was taken yesterday at an important review meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, it was also decided that like last year, in case some students desire to take the exams, such an option would be provided to them by CBSE, as and when the situation becomes conducive.
Taking to Twitter, the Prime Minister said that the decision on Class 12 CBSE examinations has been taken in the interest of students. He stated that Covid-19 has affected the academic calendar and the issue of the board examinations has been causing immense anxiety among students, parents and teachers, which must be put to an end.