Tamil Nadu Cancels 12th Class Board Exams, CM Stalin Asks PM Modi To Cancel NEET

The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday announced cancellation of Class 12 state board examinations and said a committee would be set up to decide on awarding marks to students.

The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday announced cancellation of Class 12 state board examinations and said a committee would be set up to decide on awarding marks to students. Chief Minister M K Stalin, while announcing this, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to cancel all national level entrance tests like National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and allow Tamil Nadu to fill professional seats including the MBBS based on Class 12 marks alone. The state government said the decision to call off the board exam was in view of the continuing high prevalence of the second wave of COVID-19 in several parts of Tamil Nadu and also considering the chances of a third wave. Following consultations with stakeholders, including teachers, educationists and medical experts, Mr Stalin said "the class 12 board examination for this year is cancelled," adding that the decision was taken considering the well-being of students. A committee, headed by the School Education Department Principal Secretary, would be set up to decide on giving marks to students and based on its recommendation, marks would be awarded, an official release said. Such marks alone shall be the basis for admission to college courses, it said. Explaining the reasons for cancelling exams, the government pointed out that students below the age of 18 could not be vaccinated and allowing all of them to sit for the exam at the same time could increase the possibility of virus spread and deferring the exam too was not an option as such a move would affect them psychologically.