BHUBANESWAR: The State government on Thursday said the matriculation and Plus II examinations in Odisha are likely to be delayed by at least two months due to the late commencement of 2020-21 academic session. Both the examinations will be held offline.
School and Mass Education (SME) Minister Samir Ranjan Dash said as schools have not reopened yet due to Covid-19 restrictions, it would be difficult for the department to conduct the Board examination from February. The Centre is yet to communicate the time frame for carrying out the examinations and also the duration of the 2020-21 academic session, he added.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had written to the Prime Minister in this regard in November. The State government feels that the national guidelines with tentative timelines will help states in framing appropriate strategies as all competitive entrance examinations and admission to higher education institutions are interlinked. As the SME department plans to conduct classes for a minimum 100 days, the examinations are expected to be held in April.
On the other hand, the Minister said as the CBSE has announced to conduct exams in the current academic session in pen and paper mode, the Board of Secondary Exams and Council of Higher Secondary Exams will also do so for the matric and Plus II examinations respectively.
Officials said though the department has been trying to reach out to the maximum number of students for online classes through different platforms, it has not been possible due to poor digital penetration in rural parts.