In light of the coronavirus pandemic, the Union Human Resource Development Ministry has asked the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), and all other boards to postpone the ongoing exams for Class 10 and 12. All other exams including university exams, Joint Entrance Examination-Mains (JEE-Mains) and National Institute of Open Learning (NIOS) have also been asked to be postponed.
A press release from CBSE said, "All ongoing examinations of the board for classes-X and XII, being held in examination centres in India and abroad, and scheduled between 19.03.2020 to 31.3.2020 (both dates inclusive), shall be rescheduled after 31 March, 2020.”
CBSE has also said that rescheduled dates will be made known to the stakeholders by the boards by March 31, 2020 after reassessment of the situation.
Now that CBSE has made this announcement in light of the coronavirus pandemic, other boards and Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) are also expected to make declare postponement of examinations soon.
With mounting pressure from parents, the CBSE had earlier directed examination centres to ensure a 1-metre distance between students taking their examinations.
Currently, schools and colleges have been ordered to be shut in several states across the country in the wake of COVID-19. Several states including Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra are on a virtual lockdown as the number of people who have tested positive for coronavirus increases by the day. According to the latest numbers given by the Union government, there are 151 cases of coronavirus in India. Of this, 14 people have recovered and three people have died.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development asked educational institutions to take precautionary measures in light of the virus outbreak.
All educational institutions and examination boards have been directed by the MHRD to maintain regular communication with the students and teachers and keep them informed so that there is no anxiety among students, teachers and parents.
Noting the concerns of parents, raised through e-mails to the board as well as on social media platforms, it said, "While maintenance of academic calendars and exam schedule is important, equally important is the safety and security of the students who are appearing in various examinations, as also that of their teachers and parents. CBSE has already issued detailed instructions for the precautionary measures to be taken at various examination and evaluation centers. However, it is noted that during examinations, large number of parents/guardians accompany their wards. Further, certain competitive examinations like JEE Mains require examinees to travel to other centers and in some cases even to other cities, to appear in the said examination."