New Delhi: ‘When will the remaining board exams be held?’, ‘what happens to entrance exams and the new academic session?’ — these are some of the questions that dominated Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal’s live interaction with parents across the country Monday.
However, in the 45-minute interaction via Twitter, the minister, instead of giving definitive answers to the questions, told parents to wait and urge their children to “practise yoga” and utilise the time by preparing for the pending exams.
The HRD minister had on 25 April posted on his official Twitter handle that he will go live on 27 April and answer all questions that parents might have regarding their children’s education.
Questions were invited both on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #Educationministergoeslive and by Monday, a large number of responses were received, with majority of the parents asking the minister about the dates for the remaining Class 10 and 12 board exams, and the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE), the National Entrance and Eligibility Test (NEET) and other entrance exams.
Also read: Schools want summer vacations advanced, we’ll decide after lockdown: CBSE secretary
‘Waiting for the situation to improve’
During the live interaction Monday, similar questions related to pending board exams and new dates for the JEE, NEET came up.
The minister did not give definitive answers to any of the questions and told parents to wait for the next announcement.
“We are waiting for the situation to improve and as soon as things are better in the country and the number of infections are less, the CBSE will start preparations for the remaining Class 10 and 12 board exams,” the minister said while answering to a board exam-related question.
“Exams will be conducted only in 29 of the remaining subjects,” the minister said.
This is not new information as the CBSE, earlier this month, issued a circular stating it will hold Class 10 and Class 12 board exams only for 29 subjects.
Officials in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had earlier told ThePrint that the board plans to fix a date for the remaining exams towards the end of May if the lockdown is lifted after 3 May.
Exam Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj had said the board will start evaluating the answer sheets for the exams already held, four days after the lockdown is lifted and announce a date for the pending exams after 10 days.
‘Make good use of time, study & practise yoga’
Many parents asked the minister about the dates for the JEE and NEET. Both these exams have been postponed for an indefinite period of time.
In reply, the minister asked them to wait for the next announcement, and motivate their children to study and practise yoga. He asked students to make good use of the time now and prepare well for the pending exams.
Some parents asked about the academic loss and how the HRD ministry is planning to make up for it, to which Pokhriyal mentioned about the online education initiative undertaken by his ministry.
“The ministry has made various efforts to ensure that students learn online. We have been asking various teachers to give us interesting and innovative recorded lessons, which we can use for teaching students. Our Diksha portal (an e-learning portal) has seen an increased footfall ever since the lockdown kicked in,” the minister said.
He added that for students who do not have access to online education, there are channels on Direct to Home services like Airtel and Tata Sky that are broadcasting educational content.
Also read: Online exams if possible or pen-and-paper exams after lockdown, V-C headed panels tell UGC
The school textbook publishers who have printed the stocks for supply to schools and book depot across India are staring death. All the books which they got printed are either locked up in their ware house or printers. The book publishers do not get finance from the banks and other financial institutions as they have no industry status (big, medium, small or even cottage). The publishers invest the money which they collect for supply during the previous year and reinvest them for reprinting to begin supplies from around end of February until June. The publishers get their money back for supplies over a period of 90 to 120 days or even more as schools and book depots often stagger payments. This year except one or two publishers have paid full salary, few others fifty percent and many have not paid the salaries to employees. It is not employees, the printers, binders, artist, designers, transporters who depend on publishers are wound be demanding payments from publishers. The publishers would be left with no cash which would adversely affect their working capital. It is therefore important for government to support 1. Instruct the banks to extend finance to take care working capital for one to three years. 2. Give a tax holiday for two to three years and 3. Include the publishers in MSME category so that they can approach banks for finance.
RIDICULOUS CAPTION. WHAT YOU WANT THE MINISTER TODO IN THIS PANDEMIC? HOLD THE EXAMS AND GET THE MILLIONS INFECTED? HAVE SOME COMMON SENSE
Only a bored man (i.e. Rich) can find yoga interesting. A worried man will find it irritating, and a suggestion to it cruel, insensitive, inhumane. What else can you expect from these BJP guys?