The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has been reviewing the situation arising out of COVID-19 and will decide on holding the Class 12 board exams on June 1. Amidst the surge in COVID-19 cases and the aftermath associated, while several sections of the society including Parents Association have demanded cancellation of Class 12 exams, the National Council of CBSE Schools have urged the Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank' to not cancel but hold the board exams.
The Class 12th CBSE board exams were scheduled to start on May 4 and continue till June 14, 2021. The CBSE while announcing the Class 12 postponement news, had said that the board will review the situation and take a decision on June 1. The board also said that it will release the new Class 12 board exam dates at least 15 days before the start of the exams.
National Council Of CBSE Schools
As per reports, Indira Rajan, Secretary General of National Council of CBSE Schools said: “We feel that the exam has to be conducted even if it's delayed, probably even by using alternative examination patterns.”
“A decision to hold the exams will resolve the anxiety of both the students and parents. Many of them were eagerly awaiting entry into good-quality professional institutions,” the Secretary General added.
PIL In Supreme Court
A PIL (Public Interest Litigation) has also been filed in the Supreme Court against the cancellation of the CBSE Class 12 board exams on May 18. Tony Joseph, a teacher from Kerala, said in his petition that scrapping exams will be an unfair decision for students.
“Class 12 exam is an integral part of the life of a student and important for admission to higher educational institutions….” the petition said.
Will CBSE 12 Exams Be Cancelled?
Last week, another plea in the top court had prayed for the cancellation of the Class 12 board exams conducted by the CBSE, and the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE). It had suggested assessment of students through an ‘objective methodology' within a specified timeframe.
The petition, filed by Mr Joseph, is opposed to the previous plea filed in the Supreme Court by Advocate Mamta Sharma.
A section of parents and students has been demanding that Class 12 exams be cancelled and a similar marking strategy as adopted for Class 10 students be adopted. The India Wide Parents Association has also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the Class 12th board exams.
Denying media reports that said the exams would be scrapped because of the increase in COVID-19 cases, the board on May 14 also clarified that there is no decision on cancelling Class 12 board exams.
“It is clarified that no such decision has been taken regarding CBSE Class 12 examinations as being speculated in certain sections of the media. Any decision taken in this matter will be officially communicated to the public,” said the CBSE.
CBSE Result 2021
The board will evaluate the students of Class 10 cancelled exams on the basis of marks scored in the exams held during the academic year. The board will likely release the Class 10 results in July. The tabulation of CBSE Class 10 marks is in process. CBSE had earlier announced that the entire exercise of tabulation of marks will be completed by June 11 and the result will be declared by the third week of June. However, the board on Monday has extended the date to upload the CBSE Class 10 marks by the schools till June 30, students can now expect their Class 10 results of the cancelled board exams in July.
The students will be assessed out of a maximum of 100 marks for each subject. While 20 marks have to be submitted by the schools as internal assessment as they have been doing, the remaining 80 marks will be based on scores in periodic tests, half yearly or mid-term exams and pre-board examinations.