Amid Covid fears, students demand cancellation of board exams
With the second wave of coronavirus hitting India, the pandemic is far from over. Scientists have predicted that the ongoing wave could peak by mid-April and that the infections may see a steep decline only by the end of May, a period when the board and other examinations will take place across the country.
Students are demanding cancellation of the upcoming board and other examinations, or at least a postponement for now. Taking to Twitter, several students rallied together using #cancelboardexams2021 to protest against the upcoming examinations which will be held via offline mode.
"The students have already faced a lot of problems till now in this pandemic. Classes were held online so the exams should also he held online or students should be promoted via internal assessment marks," a student wrote.
CBSE ASSURES SAFETY OF STUDENTS
Meanwhile, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has assured that it would take ample measures to ensure the safety and security of students appearing in the exams. CBSE Examination Controller Dr. Sanyam Bhardwaj told India TV Digital that the board has increased the number of exam centers by 45-50 percent in order to ensure social distancing and following of Covid protocols. He said that the CBSE has funded the exam centers so that they are able to make the best of the arrangements for students.
"We will follow Covid SOPs released by the government of India. Plus, we are formulating our list of guidelines which will be released soon. CBSE will also create awareness among students and parents," Dr. Bhardwaj said.
On Tuesday, India recorded 96,982 coronavirus cases and 446 fatalities in a span of 24 hours. The country witnessed an all-time high of 1,03,558 single-day new coronavirus infections on Monday.
READ MORE: Maharashtra likely to postpone SSC, HSC Board exams
