Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday confirmed that all the SSLC, Higher Secondary and Vocational Higher Secondary examinations for the state’s students will be conducted as per the scheduled dates. Despite the extension of the lockdown, no changes will be made to the pre-announced dates of these exams. 

Public exams in Kerala will be held between May 26 and May 30. The exam schedule was released by the Higher Education department. All arrangements including buses to transport students to exam centres will be facilitated by the government. 

In case some students are stuck in other districts and are unable to travel to take their exams, the government will also help them in this regard. 

Pinarayi also sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in allotting entrance examination centres in the UAE and other Gulf countries, where a large number of expatriate Indian students reside.

There has been concern among the expatriate students in the Gulf about writing the various entrance examinations including NEET, Pinarayi told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.

This year's NEET examination is scheduled for July 26 and because of the travel ban from abroad, it won't be possible for those students to come to India to write these exams, he said.

"It is in this context that Kerala has asked for entrance examination centres in the Gulf countries," Pinarayi added.

CM responds to Opposition 

Pinarayi also responded to the Opposition’s criticism that the COVID-19 press meets were a PR stunt. The Opposition in a press conference also also criticised the government’s need to hold exams during the lockdown. 

Responding to the criticism, Pinarayi said that he did not need a third party such as a Public Relations (PR) agency to seek advice from and speak to the people.