Mrunal Manmay Dash

Odisha government will take decision on conducting +2 exams after the impending cyclone, informed Odisha School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash on Sunday.

After attending a meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by Education Ministers and Secretaries of various States, Dash said, “The Centre has provided us with two options. We could hold the exams after the COVID situation improves or we could cut short the exams to make it easy for the students.”

However, a final decision on the Centre’s proposals will only be taken after the cyclone threat subsides, Dash said.

Taking into account all-India entrance exams, states have to take a decision in the interest of students, he added.

Earlier in the day, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had chaired a meeting of state Education Ministers and state Education Secretaries to decide on pending Class 12 board exams that were postponed in view of the second wave of Covid-19

Union Minister for Education Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank', Union Minister for Women and Child, Smriti Zubin Irani and Union Minister Information and Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar were also present at the meeting.

Taking to Twitter, the Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said, “The meeting with other states on Class 12th board exams was fruitful as we received immensely valuable suggestions. I have requested the State Governments to send me their detailed suggestions by May 25th.”

“We'll be able to arrive at an informed, collaborative decision regarding Class 12th board exams & remove uncertainty among students and parents by informing them of our decision at the earliest. Both students' and teachers' safety is supremely important to us,” said Pokhriyal.

On May 22, Pokhriyal had sought suggestions from parents, teachers and students in this connection. “Friends, I need your valuable suggestions…You can send them on my Twitter handle,” he had tweeted.

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