Class 10 and 12 exams: Assam govt to take final decision on June 18

Assam Cabinet meeting on Wednesday recommended that it would be not possible to conduct class 10 and 12 exams under the state board in view of the prevailing positivity rate of Covid19. However, a final decision would be taken in this regard on June 18 at a meeting between the Education Department and various other stakeholders.

The cabinet has also decided not to allow home isolation to any Covid-19 patient who does not have a separate accommodation facility at home.

A section of students from Assam have moved the Supreme court seeking cancellation of exams of class 10 and 12 under the state board.


State government is planning to hold the exams next month and complete the process by August 15. Earlier Anubha Shrivastava Sahai & Ors have filed PIL in the Apex court. A section of students has filed an intervening petition.

Assam’s education department is holding a series of meetings on how to hold exams because the present system of marking in Assam does not have internal assessment which necessitates holding of exams.

Assam chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma recently said, “If the positivity rate is below 2 percent on July 1, exams will be held, however, we will cancel the exams if the positivity rate does not come down. Students must keep on studying. The questions will be objective.”

On Wednesday, the health department made a presentation to the cabinet where it stated the usual exam is not possible in the present situation.

Health minister Keshab Mahanta said that around 7 lakh people will appear for the exam. This will mean assembly of their parents and vehicles. “In a prevailing situation assembly of 20 lakhs is not desirable.”

He said there are around 25,000 cases of COVID in the category of 11 years to 18 years.

The minister said, “We will not allow home isolation to any Covid19 patient who does not have a separate accommodation facility at home. We have seen several people claim that they have separate facilities, however in reality they do not have this facility and this is increasing the rate of infection.”

He added, “Except Guwahati cases are increasing in rural areas.”

Cabinet decided to set up four new Forensic Laboratories at Assam Medical College and Hospital at Dibrugarh, Silchar Medical College and Hospital, Tezpur Medical College and Hospital and Bongaigaon Civil Hospital.

The cabinet meeting decided to empower the Social Welfare Department to procure rice directly from Food Corporation of India (FCI) for Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP) under Integrated Child Development Scheme to reduce costs. The government is expecting to make a saving of Rs 50 monthly under the new system.