Students breathe easy but Qs loom over alt method

New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said it came as a "big relief" that the Class 12 board exams had been cancelled after much delay — putting an end to parents' concerns of endangering their children's lives for an examination.

His remarks came after the Centre decided to cancel the CBSE Class 12 board exams amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic across the country, soon after which the CISCE followed suit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the decision has been taken in the interest of students and the anxiety among students, parents and teachers must be put to an end.

The decision brought much needed relief to students, parents and teachers across the country but has now left them wondering what the alternative assessment mode will demand of them. Earlier in the day, Kejriwal had said that the exams should be cancelled in view of the Covid situation and students be evaluated on the basis of past performance — a stance the Aam Aadmi Party has consistently maintained throughout the pandemic.

"I am glad 12th exams have been cancelled. All of us were very worried about the health of our children. A big relief," Chief Minister Kejriwal tweeted.

His deputy Manish Sisodia, who has been against the idea of conducting the exams in the given circumstances, also said, "I am happy that the never-ending class 12 for 1.5 crore students of the country will finally end."

The decision to cancel the exam was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Modi in which it was decided that the CBSE will take steps to compile the results of Class 12 students as per a well-defined objective criteria in a time-bound manner.

Parents and students of Class 12 students across the country also heaved a sigh of relief as students no longer have to live with the uncertainty of a never-ending final high school year.

The "cancelboardexams" hashtag which had been trending on Twitter for a fortnight gave way to the "boardexamscancelled" chorus within minutes of the announcement.

"The delay in holding exams was getting on my nerves. Preparing for exams wasn't the issue but the uncertainty was affecting me badly," said Supriya Bamba, a Class 12 student.

Another student, Mamoor Akhter, shared on Twitter, "Thankful for the announcement of cancellation of CBSE Class XII Board Exams this year. The student-friendly decision, keeping health & safety of our youth paramount, will bring a great relief to anxious parents & teachers as well."

For Ayush Gautam, the decision has brought a "big relief" while for Ruhi Bansal, it is end of anxiety as she packs her bag for Ireland where she has already secured an admission.

"It is definitely a considerate decision. It was long awaited," said Priya Sharma, mother of a Class 12 student.

For Ritu Dhiman, the decision has ended anxiety about risk of COVID-19 infection if her son goes to exam centres.

"However, the actual relief will come when the evaluation criteria is announced so we know that the efforts of good students will not go to waste," she said.But the next step, as far as Delhi is concerned, will be how universities design admissions regimen for their colleges, especially ones such as Delhi University, which is coveted and known for its extremely high percentage cut-offs.