Assam Board, Class XII exams cancelled amid COVID threat
In a significant development, the Assam education department has finally decided to cancel the state board and higher secondary exams in view of the prevailing COVID situation in the state and keeping in interest the well-being of the students.
The much-awaited decision, concerning about 7 lakh students under Board of Secondary Education (SEBA) and Assam Higher Secondary Council (AHSEC), was arrived at after detailed discussions with all stakeholders and taking into consideration the facts on COVID infections presented by the state health department.
“The health department made a presentation before us during the meeting, pointing out that in the months of May and June about 14 percent of the population in the state in the 0 to 18 years age category has been infected with COVID while about 10 percent in the 11 to 18 years category has been infected,” state education minister Ranoj Pegu told reporters after the meeting here on Friday.
While the COVID positivity rate has come down below three percent of late, the situation in five districts, Nagaon, Sonitpur, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Cachar, is still critical, with the positivity rate still fluctuating between 4 and 6 percent.
“So, while the health department has informed us that it could not give us any concrete decision on the COVID situation before the third week of July, we have decided to cancel the exams as it would be too late by that time to hold the exams if at all the situation improved,” Pegu said.
The education minister however said that two committees, comprising academicians, would be constituted on Saturday to decide on the modalities and marking formula of the students of both SEBA and AHESC and submit their recommendations in a week’s time.
“We have also decided that the results of both the exams, based on the modalities/marking formula decided by the two committees, would have to be declared by July 31, 2021,” Pegu said.
(Edited by Christopher Gatphoh)
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