Government of India has taken the decision today, on June 01, 2021, to cancel CBSE class 12 board exams 2021. The higher secondary certificate examinations for Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will not be held this year. Instead, results for class 12 students will be announced as per a well defined objective criteria, which is yet to be disclosed.
The decision was made public after the high level meeting chaired by none other than PM Narendra Modi. Instead of conducting offline exams, the central board aims to evaluate students in accordance with well-defined objective criteria. All this shall be done in a time-bound manner to ensure that results are announced on time. The decision to cancel exams was taken during a high-level online review meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Read: CBSE Class 12 Board Exams Cancelled Live Updates
During the high-level meeting convened by the PM, concerned officials gave presentation on the consultation held so far regarding the Class 12 board exams. All opinions and views from stakeholders, state governments, etc regarding the examination were consolidated and presented during the meeting. Subsequently, the board exams were cancelled amid the uncertain circumstances of the COVID19 pandemic. The same was reiterated in the public notice issued by the education board.
Objective Criteria for CBSE Class 12 Results
According to the notice, rather than conducting Class 12 board exams, students shall be evaluated based on certain criteria. Furthermore, the PM directed concerned authorities to prepare the results in a fair and time-bound manner. However, in case students are not satisfied with their results, they may appear for exams which shall be conducted once the situation is conducive. This same measure was followed by CBSE last year.
What About Class 12 Board Exams of ICSE, and State Boards?
The decision posted by PMO pertains to cancellation of CBSE class 12 board exams 2021. It is expected that some other boards like CISCE will follow the precedent and also cancel their exams. However the final call on what to do will depend on each board, or at least that is how it appears primarily now.
Previously, the PM had conducted a meeting on May 21, 2021, to discuss the various alternatives available for the Class 12 board exams. This meeting was attended by various ministers and officials concerned. Subsequently, another meeting was convened on May 23, 2021, which was chaired by Mr. Rajnath Singh, the Indian defence minister. This meeting was attended by education ministers and secretaries of all states. During this meeting, various proposals, feedback given by states and UTs were discussed.
Today’s meeting chaired by PM Modi, was attended by various union ministers including those of Home, Defence, Finance, Women and Child Development, etc. After much deliberation and discussion, it was decided to cancel the impending board exams. According to PM Modi, the decision to cancel Class 12 board exams is taken keeping the interest of students in mind. The COVID19 pandemic has severely affected the academics of students. Along with this, the board exam issue has causes immense anxiety to students, teachers, and parents. To put an end to their misery, this decision was taken.
Now that CBSE has cancelled the Class 12 board exams, states in all likelihood, may cancel their respective state board exams. Various state boards were waiting for a firm decision from CBSE to decide their course of action. At the same time, CBSE is also expected to release the objective criteria for evaluation in due course of time.
