Board exams to be held offline on extended schedule: Odisha minister

The 2021 board examination for Classes 10 and 12 would be held offline on an extended schedule instead of usual dates in February and March, Odisha Mass Education Minister S R Dash said

The 2021 board examination

for Classes 10 and 12 will be held via the offline mode on an extended schedule instead of its usual dates in February and March, Odisha Mass Education Minister S R Dash said on Thursday.

He said Odisha will follow the instruction issued by the Central Board of Secondary Education to conduct the board examination through the conventional written mode.

Dash, however, made it clear that the tests will be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It is not possible on the part of both Board of Secondary Education (BSE) and Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE) to conduct the examination in February and March, as many students cannot access the online classes," he said.

The minister said the School & Mass Education Department is considering reopening schools for students of Class 9 and onwards, and board examination can only be held after a minimum of three months of class-room teaching.

"We will take a decision keeping the students' interests in mind as per COVID guidelines," Dash said.

The Odisha government has said in its December guidelines that educational institutions under control and supervision of the department can reopen for Classes 9-12.