NEW DELHI: Delhi deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday shot off a letter to Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal urging him to not hold class 12 board exams without vaccinating students.
In the letter, Sisodia stated that the two options given by the Centre to all states i.e, 'exams only for four major subjects', and 'exams based on objective type questions' are not adequate and raised the challenges in evaluating the students.
Sisodia said that the two options have "not only put students at risk but also ignore their mental stress". He instead recommended the tabulation of results taking into account the marks students scored in class 10, class 11 and assessment during class 12 so far. "If the Centre and state governments get on the task together all class 12 students and teachers involved in the examination process can be vaccinated within three to four weeks," he said.
"If the government feels it’s not feasible to vaccinate students at present then I strongly advocate that the exams should be cancelled and results should be tabulated as per scores obtained in last three years by students - class 10, 11 and 12," he added.
Sisodia, who also holds the education portfolio, further said, "The entire country is going through an unprecedented situation. At such difficult times, it is not easy to take a decision on conducting exams. Holding the board exams during this pandemic period is not just about the future of 1.4 crore students but also about their life and safety. The country is witnessing 2.5 lakh cases every day and there is fear of a third wave which may affect the children. Thus, we believe that no exams should be conducted without vaccination."
He further suggested the Centre to consult experts on vaccinating students below 18. He also said that 95 per cent of students are 17.5 years of age and the Centre should seek expert advice on inoculating the students with Covaxin or Covishield.