The Centre on Sunday indicated to the states that it was keen on the CBSE Class XII exams being conducted sometime soon, to be followed by the NEET and the JEE Main and Advanced.

At the videoconference meeting, several states expressed reservations about the CBSE Class XII exams being held amid the surging epidemic and suggested that the candidates be evaluated on the basis of past exam scores and internal assessment.

The states generally favoured the conduct of the NEET and the JEEs, the all-India medical and engineering entrance tests that are one-day affairs. But several states suggested that the examinees be vaccinated first even if they are below 18, the lower age cut-off for the current vaccination policy, Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia told reporters.

The states, whose support is important since all these exams are to be held across India, have to state their stand in writing by May 25. Under the Disaster Management Act, the Centre can force the states to comply, anyway, sources said.

The final decision on the CBSE Class XII exams is expected on June 1. If the decision is to hold the exams and the states agree, it’s expected that the states would also go ahead with their own Class XII board exams.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh chaired the meeting, which discussed two possible ways of holding the Class XII exams, which most state boards have not conducted because of the second wave of Covid.

Sisodia told reporters the two options are:

Option I: The exams will be held in 20 or so main subjects among the about 200 offered by most school boards. If any of a student’s chosen subjects falls outside the group of 20, the student would be given a score in this subject on the basis of his or her performance in the other subjects. The exams will be held as usual in selected centres.

Option II: The exams will have objective-type questions and the duration will be 90 minutes instead of the regular three hours per paper. The students will not sit more than five papers, and will have the option of appearing in only four. Students will take the exams in their own schools and be evaluated by their own schoolteachers.

Sisodia said he opposed Class XII exams in any manner, citing the rampaging epidemic and speculation about a third wave that may particularly infect children.

“We do not favour exams at the cost of the students’ health. We favour assessment on the basis of historical references (past exams),” he said.

Sisodia said students unhappy with this arrangement “may take the test at a later date when it can be held”.

“We need to think from the perspective of parents,” he added, implying that parents would be likely to oppose the conduct of Class XII exams now.

Sources said Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu were among the states opposed to allowing Class XII exams while BJP-ruled Karnataka unconditionally supported the Centre’s proposal. Congress-ruled Rajasthan signalled acceptance of Class XII exams only if all the candidates were vaccinated and the situation improved, the last rider threatening to make the timetable rather indefinite.

Sisodia said Delhi and several other states demanded vaccination of the examinees before the NEET and JEEs. He said about 95 per cent of Class XII students (who make up the bulk of the JEE and NEET candidates) are aged 17-and-a-half, and that health experts’ opinion should be taken to find out whether the Indian vaccines can be administered to them.

Else, he suggested, the government might need to import vaccines from foreign countries that have developed jabs for children.

The CBSE has cancelled the Class X board exams and allowed schools to evaluate students on the basis of internal assessment and previous exams. The board has said it would conduct optional Class X exams once the situation improves so that willing students can take them to better their performance.

At the meeting, Rajnath and education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal underlined the “importance of the Class XII board exams and the all-India entrance exams in shaping the future and defining the careers of students”, a government media release said.

It said Rajnath “reiterated that the priority of the government is to conduct all the examinations in a safe and secure environment”.

The country has about 1.5 crore Class XII students.

Women and child development minister Smriti Irani and environment minister Prakash Javadekar attended the meeting, as did the chief ministers of Jharkhand and Goa, the deputy chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, state education ministers and chairpersons of examination boards.