The Union Government has decided to cancel the CBSE class 12th board exam. It has been decided that 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. It was also decided that in case some students desire to take the exams like last year, such an option would be provided to them by CBSE as and when the situation becomes conducive.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. The Prime Minister said, the decision on Class 12 CBSE exam was taken in the interest of students. He said that COVID-19 has affected the academic calendar and the issue of Board Exams had been causing immense anxiety among students, parents and teachers, which must be put to an end.
Prime Minister said that the COVID situation is a dynamic situation across the country. He said, while the numbers are coming down in the country and some states are managing the situation through effective micro-containment, some states have still opted for a lockdown. He said, students, parents and teachers are naturally worried about the health of the students in such a situation. Prime Minister has said, students should not be forced to appear for exams in such a stressful situation.
The Prime Minister stressed that the health and safety of students is of utmost importance and there would be no compromise on this aspect. He said, such exams cannot be the reason to put youth at risk. Prime Minister said that all stakeholders need to show sensitivity for students. He directed 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, the Prime Minister expressed appreciation that a student-friendly decision has been reached after consulting all stakeholders. He also thanked the states for providing feedback on this issue.
The Prime Minister had earlier held a high-level meeting on 21st of May last month. Thereafter, a meeting under the Chairmanship of Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was held on 23rd of May which was attended by the Education Ministers of States. Various options for conduct of CBSE examinations were discussed in the meeting and feedback obtained from the States and Union Territories.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar, Women and Chid Development Minister Smriti Irani have attended the meeting. In addition to the Union Ministers, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Cabinet Secretary, Secretary Higher Education and School Education and several other Senior officials of the Education Ministry, CBSE Chairperson were also present in the meeting. Earlier, the Government had decided to cancel CBSE Class 10th CBSE Board examination in light of the second surge of COVID pandemic this year.