The Haryana and Punjab governments on Thursday cancelled their Class X state board examinations and deferred the Class XII exams amid a rapid rise in Covid cases across the country.

The Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh governments have deferred both the exams.

The International Baccalaureate has also cancelled its board exam for Indian students this year. Last year, too, the board had cancelled its exam and awarded marks on the basis of internal assessment.

The Odisha government said in a media release that it would review the situation in the first week of June before taking a call. Both the exams were supposed to be held in May.

In the CBSE-affiliated schools, the Class X board exam have lesser significance as the students study in the same school for the next two years. But in states such as Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, Classes XI and XII are part of junior colleges, which admit students on the basis of Class X marks.

The Gujarat government announced that the students of Classes I to IX and Class XI would be automatically promoted to the next class. The board exams for Classes X and XII have been postponed.

In Punjab, Class X students will be promoted to the next class. A decision on Class XII exams will be taken later.

Madhya Pradesh has also postponed the tests.

The CBSE has already cancelled its Class X exams and deferred Class XII exams.

The ICSE board will take a decision soon.

The Meghalaya board will hold its tests from Friday as scheduled.