New Delhi: Following the high-level meeting chaired by Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal on Sunday to solicit suggestions regarding class 12th board exams amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Congress student wing National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) President Neeraj Kundan issued a statement stating that the conclusion of the meeting will only put lives of students at risk.
The CBSE Class XII examination is likely to be conducted and its date and format to be announced by Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank on May 30, said sources.
In an official statement to media, Neeraj Kundan said, “NSUI has been fighting tooth and nail to protect the lives and well being of the students who are supposed to appear in the examinations during the pandemic. Though the government kept delaying to discuss this issue, we are glad that it finally addressed the issue but the conclusion of this meeting will do nothing but put the lives of these innocent students at risk.”
The Union Education Minister in the meeting stated that they will be able to arrive at an informed, collaborative decision regarding the Class 12th board exams and remove the uncertainty among students and parents’ minds by informing them of our final decision at the earliest.
According to sources, the CBSE Class XII examination is likely to be conducted and its date and format to be announced by Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank on May 30.
He said, “The Modi government has again proved itself to be insensitive by making a wrong call about the board exams as it will result in mass gatherings of the students ultimately putting the students as well as their families at risk. This government has already caused enough harm by organising huge election rallies and promoting mass gatherings during the pandemic, but now rather than coming up to a safe way out they have decided to repeat the same mistake when the people across this country are dying of coronavirus.”
“If the government is ready to come up with an evaluation formula for many other subjects why can’t they do the same for these 19 subjects as well? Conducting exams for these 19 subjects could be equally dangerous as it would have been for all the subjects and considering the present conditions in the country, this is not the risk which Modi government should take. Risking the lives of the students is certainly the last thing this government should do,” he added.
Praising Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, he said, “Our leader Rahul ji has spoken strongly in the past about taking the lives of our students seriously and NSUI is committed to doing whatever it takes to protect the students’ rights as well as their lives.”
Stating that the government could have taken advice from medical experts, he said, “It is understandable that as important it is to save the studies of these students, but nothing is more important than their lives. Modi government’s blunders are destroying the country day by day and now making this decision to conduct 12th board exams without even proper vaccination is another blunder to add to their list. The most crucial advice to make such decisions should have been of the medical experts and the government should have looped them in before taking this call.”
“The manner in which this decision has been taken shows the real character of this government. Modi government ran away from their responsibilities and rather than resolving the issue, they have created more uncertainty and confusion amongst the students,” Neeraj Kundan concluded.
Earlier on April 14, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had notified that Class XII exams were postponed in view of the COVID pandemic. CBSE had said further information regarding the Class XII board exams would be given to students by June 1.