Odisha: Plus II students step up pressure on government to cancel board exams

Cops wearing PPE disperse the students from the Mahatma Gandhi Marg on Monday

BHUBANESWAR: Students of different higher secondary schools in the city on Monday staged a protest at the Mahatma Gandhi Marg for the second time in a week to step up the pressure on the government for the cancellation of the Class XII board exam in the wake of the rising Covid-19 cases.
As of now, the state government has postponed the higher secondary school examination, which was scheduled to be held on May 18. It is conducted by the Council of Higher Secondary Education. High drama unfolded at the Mahatma Gandhi Marg as the agitating students refused to move from there. They threatened to gherao Naveen Niwas, if the government does not take decision in this regard in 10 days. Police personnel wearing PPE kits forcefully dispersed the students and took some of them into preventive custody.
“ In a situation, where people are dying around you and every other person is testing positive for the virus, how can we focus on studies? Saving lives should be top priority now.?” asked Rajesh Sahu, a Class XII student. After some Class X students staged a protest in front of Naveen Niwas demanding the cancellation of the board exam, the state government on April 21 announced that it would be scrapped.
Meanwhile, the government said the next date of examination will be declared after reviewing the Covid-19 situation in the first week of June. “The safety of students is always a priority of the government. If we feel that it is not safe to conduct the exam, we will cancel it. The right decision will be taken at the right time,” a senior official of the school and mass education department said.

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