On the first day of June 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a review meeting concerning the Class XII Board exams of CBSE and came to the conclusion to cancel them because of the uncertain conditions caused by COVID-19. It was mutually agreed that CBSE will work out to compile the results of class XII students “as per well-defined objective criteria” in a time-bound manner. Netizens across the country took social media by storm and displayed a bone-tickling response through amusing and witty memes on the cancelation of Class 12 Board Exams 2021. The groundbreaking decision was taken during a high-end meeting chaired by the Prime Minister himself. This decision was voted when the PM was briefed on all possible prospects that have arisen through comprehensive discussions with all Union ministers, cabinet secretaries, and other stakeholders.
Moreover, for the correct evaluation of the Class 12 board students, it was decided that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will devise an objective criterion meeting their needs. PM Narendra Modi tweeted on his official Twitter handle after the meeting, “Government of India has decided to cancel the Class 12 CBSE Board Exams. After extensive consultations, we have taken a decision that is student-friendly, one that safeguards the health as well as future of our youth.” Students took to Facebook, Instagram, as well as Twitter, to rejoice at the cancelation of both CBSE and CISCE Class 12 Board exams for this year by sharing hilarious memes. Prime Minister Modi further added that the anxiety amongst students, parents, and teachers regarding the class 12 board examination must be put to an end.
He told the country that students should not be forced to appear for the CBSE class 12 board examination in the midst of this pandemic. He further declared that the Central Board of Secondary Education will take steps to organize the results of class XII students ‘as per a well-defined objective criteria’ in a time-bound manner. The news has arrived as relaxation for more than 14 lakh students who were due to appear for the CBSE Class 12 board exams. The students awaited this news since mid-April when their exams got postponed because of the second wave of Coronavirus in India. Subsequently, the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) also announced to cancel Class 12 board examinations, as their board secretary Gerry Arathoon declared on Tuesday.
This critical decision came only an hour after the announcement of the CBSE Class 12 board exams cancellation. “The alternative assessment criteria will be announced soon,” CISCE added in their statement. Both CBSE and CISCE will clear the criteria they will use to assess the marks for class 12 board students. Lately, the CISCE and CBSE based schools in the country were asked to yield data of class 12 students’ performance in their previous 3 classes. Due to the prevailing Covid-19 conditions, the CISCE board had postponed its board exams earlier which were going to start on May 4. Speculations say that the final class 12 marks could be calculated based on the performance of students in internals and past three years. But a final take on it is yet to come.
12th students rn pic.twitter.com/7NQgHBRLlk
— Aparna🧘♀ (@AppeFizzz) June 1, 2021
Students and their parents heaved a sigh of relief when the government of India announced the cancellation of the Class 12 board examination this Tuesday because of the prevailing pandemic. From a fortnight ago, #cancelboardexams was trending on Twitter by students which now led way for the #boardexamscancelled chorus, only a few minutes after the big announcement. A class 12 student told the media, “The delay in holding exams was getting on my nerves. Preparing for exams wasn’t the issue but the uncertainty was affecting me badly,” while several people retweeted this tweet by another Class 12 student, “Thankful for the announcement of the cancellation of CBSE Class XII Board Exams this year. The student-friendly decision, keeping health & safety of our youth paramount, will bring great relief to anxious parents & teachers as well.”
Not just the youth, but their parents also heaved a sigh of relief, thanking the government for taking such a thoughtful and wise decision. “It is definitely a considerate decision. It was long-awaited,” a mother of a Class 12 student told the media. But for some people, the relief has not yet come. “However, the actual relief will come when the evaluation criteria is announced so we know that the efforts of good students will not go waste,” a concerned mother stated. On 14 April 2021, the CBSE had declared the cancellation of Class 10 exams while Class 12 exams were called for postponement seeing the fatal conditions of the pandemic. For class 10 students, the Central Board of Secondary Education announced the following criteria: 80 marks from the total will be calculated based on the child’s performance in several tests or exams conducted by the school throughout the year; while the remaining 20 marks will be given through internal assessment as always.
The consistent demands and pleas from a large section of parents and students to cancel the board exams for this year led the Education Ministry to conduct a high-level meeting attended by all the state education ministries as well as education secretaries so as to deal with the situation. Following the announcement of the cancellation, the CBSE released a notification stating, “Class 12 assessment will be made as per well-defined objective criteria in a time-bound manner. For any student who is not satisfied with the assessment, an option to appear in the examinations would be provided by CBSE as and when the situation becomes conducive.” Now the state governments are expected to follow suit for their state board exams, many of whom were waiting for the center’s take on the CBSE Class 12 board exams.
The school education minister of Maharashtra Varsha Gaikwad commented, “We welcome the decision of the Centre to cancel CBSE Class 12 board exams. We have stressed the need for a ‘uniform assessment model’ across the country. The decision regarding state board Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) Class 12 exams will be taken soon keeping the health and safety of students in mind.” Experts suggest the CBSE Class 12 marks can be calculated based on students’ performance in internals and their marks attained in classes 11, 10, and 9. But the decision is not yet taken. The CBSE Class 12 Board exams were scheduled to be conducted from May 4 to June 14, 2021. But in the mid of April, the Central Board of Secondary Education announced that they have been postponed indefinitely due to the prevailing conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The CISCE said ISC Class 12 exam results will be prepared on a specific mechanism that would take into consideration the internal examinations conducted by schools in the country. Students who don’t feel satisfied will have a choice to take the regular exams at a later date when the Covid situation becomes favorable in India.