All Education Ministers, Education Secretaries, Chairpersons of State Examination Boards, and stakeholders will meet at a high-level conference to discuss recommendations for the conduct of Class 12 board exams tomorrow and entrance tests for technical courses. Tomorrow, May 23, at 11.30 a.m., there will be a virtual conference.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will preside over the conference, which will also include Union Ministers for Education Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank,’ Women and Child Affairs Smriti Zubin Irani, and Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar.

Mr. Pokhriyal has also used Twitter to solicit feedback from all stakeholders, including pupils, parents, teachers, and others.

The Department of School Education and Literacy, the Ministry of Education, and the CBSE are discussing test alternatives while keeping the safety and protection of students and teachers in mind. In a letter to the states and UTs, Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ stated that the Department of Higher Education is debating the finalization of examination dates for institutions of higher learning.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted a variety of sectors, including education, especially board exams and entrance exams, according to the letter.

Due to the current situation, almost all State Education Boards, as well as CBSE and ICSE, have decided to delay the Class 12 board exam until 2021. The National Testing Agency (NTA) and other national exam-conducting agencies have also suspended entrance tests for professional-course admissions.

Since the conduct of Class 12 examinations has an effect on State Board exams and other entrance exams across the country, it is desirable that, in the interests of all students across the country, a reasoned decision based on feedback from various State Governments and UT Administrations be made regarding Class 12 CBSE examinations.