NEET PG exams: DMK chief Stalin questions need to conduct exam amid Covid spike
Taking to Twitter, the DMK chief, whose party is a vocal critic of NEET, pointed out at the cancellation of CBSE class X exams 'due to the second wave' of the Covid-19 pandemic
With the government cancelling CBSE Class X board exams due to an alarming rise in Covid-19 infections, DMK President MK Stalin on Thursday wondered if it was the 'right' time to conduct the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) for Post Graduate courses.
NEET-PG 2021 is scheduled on 18 April.
Taking to Twitter, the DMK chief, whose party is a vocal critic of NEET, pointed out at the cancellation of CBSE class X exams "due to the second wave" of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"CBSE exams have now got cancelled due to the second wave of #COVID19. With increasing cases and fatalities, when our doctors are fighting hard against all odds, is this the right time to hold National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) for PG courses," Stalin, Leader of Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, said.
The government yesterday cancelled the CBSE's class 10 board exams and postponed its class 12 exams following an exponential surge in coronavirus cases, a decision that will affect over 21 lakh students across India.
This is the first time that the Central Board of Secondary Education has completely cancelled the board exams conducted by it. Last year, the exams were partially cancelled in the wake of riots in northeast Delhi and Covid-19 cases.
The decision on Wednesday was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A total of 21.5 lakh students had registered for class 10 and 12 CBSE exams. The CBSE will review the situation on June 1 to decide on the class 12 exam schedule while objective criteria will be decided for class 10 results.
The CICSE, which is the other prominent national board for school examinations, said it is reviewing the situation and will come up with a decision soon in this regard. Several principals and educationists hailed the decision while others demanded that the criteria be decided in consultation with stakeholders.
Parents also expressed concerns about the delay in schedule saying either the board exams should be cancelled for class 12 or a schedule should be announced soon to ease the students’ anxiety.
"The board exams for class 12 to be held from May 4 to June 14 are hereby postponed. These exams will be held hereafter.
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