The second wave of COVID has jolted the nation to its core. One of the most prominent steps taken by the Indian government at this moment is cancelling class 10th board exams. Though this has brought a certain level of relief among the students yet those who are in class 12th are still swaying in ambiguity. A large section of 12th boards students has taken to Twitter, demanding cancellation of board exams. Hashtag #saveboardstudents is trending all over the prominent social media platform and is gradually picking up pace.
The students supporting the hashtag are worried due to the virus and are requesting that the board result should either be prepared based on online exams or internal assessment, just as for the class 10th.
Class 12th results are deemed critical, as on the basis of it, most colleges and universities enrol students in UG courses. Also, clearing class 12th boards is an important eligibility criterion for taking most of the entrance examinations. Just like 2020, this year too, the government has relaxed the admission criteria for IITs, NITS, and various state-funded engineering institutes. However, looking at the sudden upsurge in the COVID cases, students are demanding more.
Students from various school boards like CBSE, ICSE, state boards, etc have taken to social media to address their grievances, and a large section of these students are tweeting with hashtags like #cancelboardexams, #saveboardstudents. Moreover, some media reports have also reported that many students have also filed online petitions demanding support for the cancellation of board examination. According to the reports, over 5.9 lakh signatures have been gathered on the petition on May 10, 2021.
Through the social media platforms, students have raised their concerns over the health and safety if they appear for the offline examinations.
The current medical status is not appropriate and people throughout the nation are struggling to stay safe. In such a scenario, students are finding it difficult to prepare for boards exams and put their mind and heart into preparation. On top of it, the thought of appearing for the exam is frightening.
Questions like what if the student has been tested positive after giving some exams? will they be allowed to give the rest of the exams later? etc. are increasing anxiety among the student community who are waiting for the final decision on the upcoming board exams.
Last year, not all board exams could be conducted. For the exams which could not be conducted, students were given marks on the basis of the average of the highest marks obtained in the subjects which were held. However, this year, the case is a little different as most board including CBSE, CISCE, Maharashtra Board, UP, Rajasthan, etc. have not even started holding the exams. Only Bihar Board successfully conducted the class 10, 12 board exams and has declared the results as well.
Please cancel board exams in 12 class i am covid positive