Maharashtra govt postpones state board exams amid worsening COVID-19 situation

In view of the worsening COVID-19 situation in the state, the Maharashtra government has decided to postpone state board exams for classes 10 and class 12.

Now, the state board exams for class 12 will be held by May end and that of class 10 in June.

"Given the current COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra, we've postponed state board exams for class 10th and 12th. Class 12th exams will be held by end of May, while 10th standard exams will be in June, state education minister Varsha Gaikwad said.

The exact dates will be announced based on the developing situation, which the administration is monitoring, she said.

Gaikwad also added the state government will write to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), International Baccalaureate (IB), and Cambridge boards and request them to reconsider their exam dates.

Class 10th and 12th CBSE board exams are scheduled to be held from May 4 to June 10 and results for both are slated to be declared by July 15.

Several leaders, including the Congress's Priyanka Gandhi, had criticised the CBSE's decision to go ahead with the board exams.

"It is downright irresponsible of boards like the CBSE to force students to sit for exams under the prevailing circumstances. Board exams should either be cancelled, rescheduled or arranged in a manner that does not require the physical presence of children at crowded exam centres," she had tweeted.

Maharashtra is the worst affected state by COVID-19 ever since the start of the pandemic last year. On Sunday, the state alone recorded 63,294 new cases and 349 deaths, taking its overall figure to 34,07,245 infections and 57,987 deaths.

( With inputs from ANI )