Priyanka Gandhi urges Centre to cancel CBSE Board exams

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday urged the central government to cancel the CBSE board exams as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the country.

The Congress leader in a Facebook post said that students across the country were raising some important concerns related to the examinations in the second wave of COVID-19. She requested the Government of India not to ignore the voice of India's future and cancel CBSE board exams.

"For the past several days, I listened to many students of the CBSE board. Students across the country are raising some important concerns related to the examinations in the second wave of Covid. They say that in the last days of the examinations, the pressure of preparation is already there on them and now there is the additional pressure of safety on them," she said.

The Congress leader said that in addition there are issues related to the safety of the families of students and teachers engaged in examination duty.

"In such a situation, despite the demands raised by the students, the silence of the education minister and the government on this subject is astonishing," she said.

Priyanka Gandhi further said that she had also written a letter to Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank to cancel the CBSE board examinations.

"Many outside countries have come out with many new methods of assessment in this emergency," she added.

On December 31, the Education Ministry announced examination dates for Class 10th and 12th CBSE students to be held from May 4 to June 10 and results for both to be declared by July 15, 2021.

Every year, the Board exams used to begin from the month of February-March and the results were declared by the month of May. This year, the academic year started late due to the COVID-19 pandemic and classes were held online.

With 1,84,372 new COVID-19 cases recorded in the last 24 hours, India's tally has reached 1,38,73,825, informed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday.

The country witnessed 1,027 new COVID-19 deaths during the same period, taking the cumulative toll to 1,72,085. At present, there are 13,65,704 active cases, while the overall recoveries have reached 1,23,36,036 as 82,339 people were discharged in the last 24 hours.

( With inputs from ANI )