The Evening Wrap: CBSE class 12 exams postponed, class 10 exams cancelled

The Hindu Newsletter - The biggest news stories from today [logo] The Evening Wrap Wednesday | 14 April, 2021 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( CBSE postpones Class 12 exams, cancels Class 10 exams due to spike in COVID-19 cases Due to the surge in COVID-19 cases, the [Class 12 examinations of the CBSE have been postponed while the Class 10 examinations have been cancelled](, the Education Ministry said on Wednesday. The decision was taken after a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review the situation. Both exams were scheduled to be held from May 4 to June 14. With Class 12 results being the basis for admission into higher education institutions, it has been decided to postpone the exams. The CBSE will review the situation on June 1. A notice of at least 15 days will be given before the start of the examinations, said the Ministry statement. For Class 10 students, results will be prepared on the basis of an objective criterion to be developed by the Board. Any candidate who is not satisfied with the allocated marks will be allowed to write an exam as and when conditions are conducive, said the Ministry. [ The Shiksha Sadan which houses the CBSE at Rouse Avenue in New Delhi. File ] The PM’s review meeting came amid rising demands from students, parents and State governments for the exams to be cancelled or postponed, given that the daily rate of infections is regularly crossing the 1.5-lakh mark. During the meeting, “the Prime Minister reiterated that the well being of the students has to be the top priority for the government. He also said the Centre would keep in mind the best interests of the students and ensure that their health is taken care of and at the same time their academic interests are not harmed,” said the statement. Schools have been shut down in 11 States due to the second wave of the pandemic. For many classes, schools have not reopened since the initial shut down of March, 2020. At least four State education boards scheduled to hold examinations in April have announced postponement. “Unlike State Boards, the CBSE has an all-India character, and therefore, it is essential to hold exams simultaneously throughout the country,” said the Ministry. However, no guidelines were given for State board exams, as had been demanded by some States. [underlineimg] Access to professional education is not government largesse, says Supreme Court Access to professional education is not a “governmental largesse” and the State has an affirmative obligation to facilitate its reach at all levels, [the Supreme Court has said](. This obligation assumes far greater importance for students whose background imposes formidable obstacles on their path to access quality education, the apex court said. A Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and M.R. Shah made these observations in a verdict on separate pleas filed by two students from Ladakh who were not admitted to the M.B.B.S. degree course in medical colleges in New Delhi despite due nomination by the Union Territory and in terms of the seats notified by the Centre. “While the right to pursue higher [professional] education has not been spelt out as a fundamental right in Part III of the Constitution, it bears emphasis that access to professional education is not a governmental largesse. Instead, the State has an affirmative obligation to facilitate access to education, at all levels,” the Bench said in its judgment delivered on April 9. “This obligation assumes far greater importance for students whose background [by virtue of such characteristics as caste, class, gender, religion, disability and geographical region] imposes formidable obstacles on their path to accessing quality education,” it said. While allowing the petitions filed by the two students, the top court directed that the admission formalities be completed immediately and, in any event, within a week. The Bench noted that both the petitioners were nominated by the Ladakh administration for admission to M.B.B.S. degree course under the ‘central pool’ seats set apart by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It noted that one of them has been allocated a seat at Lady HardingeMedical College while the other has been assigned to Maulana Azad Medical College. “We have been constrained to take up the issue under Article 32, since the fundamental rights of students from Ladakh to pursue professional education are implicated,” it said. “We will in the course of this judgment deal, of course, with the grievance of the two students. But we intend to deal with the issue on a systemic basis so that other students who may lack resources, or simply the knowledge about legal remedies, are not deprived of education,” the Bench said. It noted that Additional Solicitor Generals R.S. Suri and K.M. Nataraj, representing the Centre and Ladakh, have stated that since due allocations have been made in favour of the petitioners, there is no reason and justification to deny them the benefit of admission. [underlineimg] BJP will not get even 70 seats in West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said [the BJP will not be able to win even 70 seats]( in the ongoing state assembly elections, which many expect to be a cliff-hanger. Speaking at a rally at Dabgram-Fulbari in Jalpaiguri district, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo ridiculed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent claim that BJP had already won 100 seats in the four phases of the election to the 294-seat assembly. “Prime Minister Modi has said the saffron party has already won 100 out of the 135 seats where elections have been held. I can say that after the elections are over, BJP will not even get 70 out of total of 294 seats,” she said. [West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee speaks to families of Sitalkuchi firing victims at Mathabhanga in Cooch Behar district on April 14, 2021. Photo: West Bengal CMO via PTI] Banerjee today also met the families of those killed in the firing by security forces during the fourth phase of the Assembly elections and asserted that her government will launch a probe to bring the culprits to book. She lamented that she could not meet the next of kin of the deceased earlier owing to a 72-hour ban on entry of political leaders in Cooch Behar, where four people were gunned down by CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) personnel on April 10. “Our inquiry will track everyone responsible for the cold-blooded killing and ensure they are punished as per law,” she said. Banerjee said she will also ensure justice for the family of Ananda Burman, an 18-year-old first-time voter who was shot dead outside a polling booth in the same district. [underlineimg] Hope India reconsiders stance on RCEP, says Singapore Foreign Minister Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said [he hoped India would “reassess” its stand on regional trading agreements]( such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) pact that India withdrew from and that Delhi had “a crucial role” to play in the region at a time of increasing global instability. Speaking on Wednesday at the Raisina Dialogue, held virtually this year and hosted by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in partnership with India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Balakrishnan said he was “making a plea” for India to revisit its stand on the trade front. “I hope India will reassess regional trade pacts like RCEP and even the CPTPP [Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership],” he said. “These trade pacts will give Indian companies a platform to showcase their strengths across even larger markets.” The RCEP came into force in November 2020 and is the world’s largest trading agreement, covering the ten ASEAN nations, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. The CPTPP, the successor of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) which the U.S. withdrew from, includes Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam from ASEAN along with Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Chile and Peru. India withdrew from the RCEP largely because of concerns that it would open up India to Chinese goods amid an already wide trade imbalance with China, and the failure of the agreement to adequately open up to services. Balakrishnan said Singapore hoped India could help build a regional architecture that was “open” and “inclusive”. Rising U.S.-China tensions, he said, were “deeply worrying” for the region, with the pandemic resulting in “heightened tension” which had “implications for us all”, with a contest over emerging technologies, divergence on human rights, as well as tensions related to defence and cyber security issues. [underlineimg] India will raise its climate action targets but not under pressure: Prakash Javadekar Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has said [India will raise its climate ambitions but not under pressure](. He said India will also continue to ask developed countries for finance and support, and about their own climate actions. Javadekar made the remarks during a speech after a meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian at the French Embassy. He said India is the only G-20 country to walk the talk on the Paris climate agreement and “we have done more than we promised”. Many countries have forgotten their pre-2020 commitments and they are now talking of 2050, he said. “Many countries are now saying don’t use coal but the alternative has to be much cheaper than coal, only then people will do away with coal,” he said. He said India is suffering because of the actions of others. “The U.S., Europe and China emitted (greenhouse gas) and therefore, the world is suffering,” he said, adding that historical responsibility is a major aspect of the climate debate. “We must also take into consideration climate justice to poor nations. They have the right to develop. Developed countries should finance what they have committed to,” he said. [underlineimg] Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments The [number of reported coronavirus cases from India]( stands at 1,40,00,437 at the time of publishing this newsletter with the death toll at 1,74,201. Over a 1,000 people at the [Kumbh Mela]( have tested positive for COVID-19 in a span of 48 hours, agencies reported. Despite the sharp surge in COVID-19 cases, there are no plans to discontinue the mass religious gathering of predominantly mask-less pilgrims, which will go on till April 30, State government officials told the media. [underlineimg] In Brief Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said [they had tested positive for COVID-19](. “I am under self-isolation and following the advice of doctors. [I am] carrying out all work virtually,” Adityanath said on Twitter. The U.P. Chief Minister had recently campaigned in the West Bengal elections. Several officials in his office had tested positive on Tuesday. Former U.P. CM Akhilesh Yadav also took to social media site to announce that he had tested positive. He said he had self-isolated and was receiving treatment at home. Former Chief Election Commissioner [G.V.G. Krishnamurty passed away]( on Wednesday due to age-related ailments, the Election Commission of India said in a statement. He was 86. The former CEC is survived by his wife, son and daughter. Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra recalled Krishnamurty’s contribution during his tenure from October 1, 1993 to September 30, 1996, the statement said. [underlineimg] Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. 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