High school exams have begun around the country and in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced its decision to allow the use of face masks and sanitisers by students in examination centres. The announcement came on Wednesday, easing the widespread fear among parents.
In a statement issued by CBSE Secretary, Anurag Tripathi, the board has said that decision for permitting masks and sanitisers was taken after both students and parents made inquiries related to it.
"CBSE is receiving several inquiries from students and parents in view of the ongoing issue related to coronavirus, with regard to permitting face masks and sanitisers at examination centres.
"In view of the inquiries received it is clarified that face masks and sanitisers may be carried by students, if they so desire, in the examination centres," the statement added.
The decision comes after five schools in Delhi, and the National Capital Region (NCR) decided to close down for multiple days as a precautionary measure to prevent spreading of the COVID-19 virus. The CBSE had postponed the board exams for Class 10 and 12 scheduled on Wednesday in violence-affected northeast Delhi, for a total of 86 centres in northeast Delhi.
This year, CBSE Class XI physics exam was considered to be extremely difficult by students. The question paper, according to the students, were mostly application level questions that one usually see as the major part of various competitive examinations.
In India, at least 28 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including the three Kerala patients who have subsequently recovered, have been reported as of Wednesday. Globally, a total of 90,893 cases of COVID-19 infections and 3,110 deaths, mostly in China, have been reported.
In Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Class XI Board exams began on Wednesday while Class XII exams started this Monday. Students appearing for the Class X Boards will begin their examinations on March 17.
While Class X and XII exams will end on March 26, for Class XI, exams will finish on March 24 in the state.
(With inputs from IANS)