Shorter versions to online tests: TN sends Class 12 examination proposals to Centre

Union Minister of Education Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank had recently chaired a virtual meeting with all the State Education Ministers to discuss the options before the government in this regard. 

At the meeting, the Union Minister asked all States and Union Territories to send in their suggestions by the end of the week. 

A senior official from the School Education Department told DT Next that soon after the DMK government power, State Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi had started holding meetings with the authorities concerned and health experts in this regard to assess the situation and explore various options. 

Stating that several ideas had emerged at the meetings, he said, all these had been compiled ahead of the Union Minister’s meeting. 

“We stated all our suggestions. The Union Minister asked the States to send in the ideas either as an e-mail or in the form of a circular,” he said, adding that had been done, too. 

Elucidating on some of the suggestions put forth by the state, he said there was a proposal to conduct exams only for ‘important subjects.’ 

“For science stream students, only Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry and either Computer Science or Biology (Zoology and Botany) exams could be conducted,” he said, adding, “similarly, for Commerce stream, only Commerce, Accountancy, Economics, and Business Mathematics exams might be held.” 

Another option might be to give a big gap, like about one week, between the exams. “Another idea is to conduct the exams in September and online exams was also another choice,” he said. 

The State had also requested the Centre that the admissions for freshers in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) should begin uniformly across the country only after all the states completed Class XII board exams.