NEW DELHI: Wearing PPE kits, masks and gloves, the National Student Union of India (NSUI) staged a protest outside the Ministry of Education demanding to cancel the Class XII board exams and promote the students. The Congressbacked student organisation also held an online protest on social media.
The “cancel exams save lives” campaign garnered the support of hundreds of students online and was among the top trending topics on Twitter. Carrying placards and raising slogans like ‘Pehle Suraksha Phir Pariksha’ the NSUI members followed all the Covid protocols like social distancing during their protest. “Ever since the Centre announced to conduct board exams, we are demanding to find an alternative of physical examinations.
A few days ago, I wrote to the ministry reminding them that they have not yet come up with any guidelines or policy to ensure the safety of the people below the age of 18 and majority of these students are below this age,” said NSUI national president Neeraj Kundan who was leading the protest. “Conducting exams amid pandemic will be life-threatening to the students appearing for exams.
The government has already failed to procure the vaccines and there seems no definite plan for that, and now this lack of planning for the board exams will harm the academic year of these students. The only solution to save their academic year is now to promote them by internal assessments rather than wasting more time on discussing the examinations,” he added.
“If the government is ready to come up with an evaluation formula for other subjects then 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,” the NSUI said. The NSUI demanded an immediate change in the government’s plan to conduct class 12 board examinations as it is now creating a state of confusion and depression among the students. The government should take a decision keeping the health and lives of students in mind, said Kundan.