In view of the uncertain conditions brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and the feedback obtained from the various stakeholders, the Centre on Tuesday decided to cancel the CBSE Class XII board exams for 2021.
After the government’s decision to cancel CBSE board exams, the Indian School Certificate Examinations (ISCE) also cancelled its Class XII board exams for this year, saying that a scheme for evaluating the students will be announced soon.
The decision to cancel the CBSE Class XII board exams was taken in a review meeting on Tuesday that was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said, “The Prime Minister chaired a review meeting regarding the Class XII board exams of CBSE. Officials gave a detailed presentation on the wide and extensive consultation held so far and views received from all the stakeholders, including the state governments.
“In view of the uncertain conditions due to Covid and the feedback obtained from the various stakeholders, it was decided that the Class XII board exams would not be held this year. It was also decided that CBSE will take steps to compile the results of Class XII students as per a well-defined objective criteria in a time-bound manner.”
In the meeting, the Prime Minister said that the decision on Class XII CBSE exams has been taken in the interest of the students, adding that Covid-19 has affected the academic calendar and the issue of board exams was causing immense anxiety among the students, parents and teachers, which had to come to an end.
The Prime Minister said that the Covid situation is a dynamic situation across the country. While the numbers are coming down and some states are managing the situation through effective micro-containment measures, some states have opted for lockdowns.
The students, parents and teachers are naturally worried about the health of the students in such a situation, Modi said, adding that the students should not be forced to appear for exams in such a stressful situation.
The Prime Minister stressed that the health and safety of the students are of utmost importance and there would be no compromise on this aspect.
He said that in today’s time, such exams cannot be the reason to put the youth of the country at risk.
The Prime Minister said that all the stakeholders need to show sensitivity for the students, as he directed the officials to ensure that the results are prepared in accordance with well-defined criteria, in a fair and time-bound manner.
Referring to the wide consultative process, Modi expressed appreciation that a student-friendly decision has been reached after consulting all the stakeholders from across the length and breadth of the country. He also thanked the states for providing valuable feedback on this issue.
The Prime Minister had earlier held a high-level meeting on the matter on May 21, which was attended by the ministers and concerned officials.
Thereafter, a meeting under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was held on May 23. Various options for conducting the CBSE exams were discussed in the meeting and feedback was taken from the states and UTs.
Tuesday’s meeting was attended by Union Ministers of Home, Defence, Finance, Commerce, Information & Broadcasting, Petroleum and Women & Child Development ministries, the Principal Secretary to the PM, Cabinet Secretary and Secretaries of School Education & Higher Education Departments, among other officials.
