Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has said that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 board examination will go ahead, but also reiterated that students’ safety will be the highest priority.
In an opinion piece published in The Indian Express, the union minister said that people must take this as a challenge to “our national will, cooperation, the synergy of efforts and administrative efficiency”.
“Conducting examinations for students in the prevailing COVID scenario is a huge challenge that does not need elaboration. This is especially so, when it comes to the Class XII board examinations, which play a significant role in every student’s career graph and roadmap for life,” Pokhriyal said.
The education minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has constituted a committee chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and comprising Union Ministers Prakash Javadekar, Smriti Irani and Pokhriyal himself.
Pokhriyal wrote in his column that “almost everyone” present in the committee’s pan-India consultation meeting agreed that having “limited examinations” would be the best course to follow. State education ministers, secretaries and chairpersons of the state education boards were also present in the meeting, he said.
“Conducting the examination for students in their respective schools will ease the administrative challenges. We had faced similar challenges in 2020, too, and we not only successfully carried out the board examinations, but also conducted competitive examinations like JEE and NEET, wherein more than 21 lakh students participated,” he added.
Here are some of the other points raised by the education minister in his column:
> Pokhriyal said that a timely decision must be taken to prevent uncertainties among students, teachers and parents.
> Undertaking the limited examination with adequate safety measures will give students a sense of pride in their abilities and boost their confidence as opposed to getting a general “pass” degree, as offered during the pandemic, he said.
> Pokhriyal reiterated that the government was committed to ensuring that examinations are conducted in a hassle-free and safe way, with students getting adequate flexibility, options and time for undertaking it.
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