On a day when the CBSE Class X exams were cancelled and Class XII exams deferred because of the nationwide surge in Covid cases, an association of private schools in Jharkhand made the demand for postponement of the matriculation and intermediate examinations of the state board which are scheduled to commence from May 4.
A delegation of the Jharkhand Gair Sarkari Vidyalaya Sangh, led by its state president Mohammed Tahir Hussain, on Wednesday met the Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) secretary Mahip Singh and submitted memorandum requesting the deferment of the exams considering the unprecedented surge in Covid-19 cases in the state.
“We have come to know that hospital beds are almost full and the number of Covid-19 cases are rising rapidly every day. If the CBSE can take a decision to cancel its Class X exam and defer the Class XII exam so can our state board considering the poor healthcare scenario and the difficulties of poor students in coming to exam centres amid the Covid threat. We have asked for deferment of both the matriculation and intermediate exams,” said Hussain.
A Covid patient in an autorickshaw in Jamshedpur on Wednesday Bhola Prasad
He further said that due to Covid restrictions they have sent their memorandum to chief minister Hemant Soren, principal secretary, education and literacy, Rajesh Sharma and Arvind Prasad Singh, chairman of the Jharkhand Academic Council, on their official email accounts.
“We have sent copies of the memorandum with our demands to the official emails of the chief minister, principal secretary and the JAC chairman. However, we would also try to meet the chief minister in a couple of days and speak to him about the situation and implore him to postpone the exams,” said Hussain.
Nearly 5 lakh students from 6,000 high schools and 3 lakh students from 1,700 intermediate colleges in the state will be appearing for their board exams scheduled from May 4.
The Covid ward at the MGM Hospital in Sakchi, Jamshedpur Bhola Prasad
The JAC has set up around 100 centres for the conduct of the exam. The evaluation of answer papers is likely to begin by June 15 while the result can be out by the end of July or the first week of August.
Sharma told The Telegraph they will be taking a decision on the exams soon.
“We are keeping a close watch on the Covid scenario. We would be taking a decision on the examinations soon keeping in mind the interest of the students,” he said.
On Tuesday, the state registered 2,844 new positive cases and 29 deaths due to Covid-19. The total number of positive cases stands at 1,44,594, of whom 1,26,178 patients have recovered, while 1,261 have died. The mortality rate of Jharkhand is 0.87 per cent, lower than the national average of 1.20 per cent. However, the recovery rate of the state stands at 87.62 per cent, which is less than the national average of 89.50 per cent.
The virus growth rate of 1.43 per cent is worrying as it is more than the national average of 0.82 per cent.
