Bhubaneswar, November 25: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has urged Prime Minister Naveen Patnaik for national guidelines on time frame to conduct Standard X and Standard-XII Board examinations amid COVID19 pandemic.
In a letter to PM Modi on Tuesday, Patnaik said these guidelines on time frame will help in reducing anxiety among students and parents of those who are appearing in the board examinations.
Citing entrance exams and admission to higher education institutions are interlinked at national level, Chief Minister requested for national guidelines on time frame to conduct board exams.
“In absence of clarity on academic session and conduct of both Standard-X and XII Board examinations, all enrolled students and their parents/teachers are in a state of uncertainty. It is leading to anxiety among all. As all competitive entrance examinations and admission in institutions of higher education are interlinked, national guidelines with tentative timelines will help the States for framing appropriate strategy. It will also help students who are anxious about the examination dates to plan and prepare accordingly,” wrote Patnaik on Tuesday.
“Therefore, I would request the Union Government to bring clarity on time frame for conduct of the Board and Higher Secondary examinations and duration of academic session 2020-21,” said the Chief Minister in his letter.
The Chief Minister in the letter said, “Keeping in view the safety and security of students and after consultation with different stakeholders and experts, we have decided to keep educational institutions closed up to December 31. We have been trying to reach out to maximum number of students digitally through different modes, but it is not possible to cover all students and prepare them to face Boards and different competitive examinations.”
Notably, due to Covid-19 pandemic, all educational institutions are closed in the State since March 17.