Class 12 CBSE board exams: Big decision likely today; Ramesh Pokhriyal to attend meeting with education secretaries

As students keep their fingers crossed over the cancellation of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 exam, Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokriyal will attend a virtual meeting with the State Education Secretaries on May 17 (Monday) at 11:00 am.

The Union Minister is also likely to take a decision on the Class 12 board exam during this meeting, as per an India Today report. In this meeting, Nishank will discuss the COVID-19 situation and its effect on education and the National Education Policy (NEP).

Meanwhile, an advocate Mamta Sharma has filed a plea in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Centre to cancel Class 12 CBSE board exams 2021 in view of surging COVID-19 cases. This petition contended the Class 12 results should be declared on the basis of an 'objective methodology' within a specified time frame.

The plea read, "Conducting class 12 board examination is not possible because of surging COVID-19 cases. Even online or offline examinations not feasible because of an unprecedented pandemic. Delay in the declaration of Class 12 results will hamper students taking admission in foreign universities."

A Class 12 student told India Today, "In view of the present situation, there is a sharp possiblity of scrapping the exams altogether. CBSE should keep a plan B ready because cancellation of the CBSE board exams may leave a wide gap and confusion among millions of students regarding university admissions and future career."

The central board had announced the cancellation of Class 10 exams and postponed Class 12 exams on April 14 due to the rise in COVID-19 cases after a high-level meeting headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Edited by Mehak Agarwal

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