No CBSE exams today

Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, March 15

CBSE students can breathe easy. Their board has rescheduled Friday’s Class X exams across West Bengal because of the bandh. The exams will now take place on April 7. Calcutta University and Rabindra Bharati University, too, have postponed Friday’s exams.
The higher secondary, ICSE and ISC exams scheduled for Friday had been cancelled on Wednesday itself. But the CBSE board had said it would be difficult for them to change the schedule for Bengal, as CBSE exams are conducted in over 20 countries. It finally accepted the request from all CBSE schools in Kolkata.
Otherwise, invigilators and class 4 staff in CBSE schools were planning to stay back in school on Thursday night. “Without them we cannot conduct exams,” said Mukta Nain, principal, Birla High School (Boys). “But what about students who stay far away? How would they have made it to school?” asked Anindita Chatterjee, principal of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Salt Lake. They are all relieved after the rescheduling.
ICSE and ISC students, however, are unhappy, as Friday’s paper for Bengal will now have to be reset. “These may not maintain parity with the question papers given to other students across the country on March 16,” said Prasenjit Mullick, of St. Thomas Boys School. Council authorities, however, said parity would be maintained.
The students are also unhappy that the exams would be over later and affect their holiday plans. “Everyone wants to get it off their chest. Unlike CBSE students, ISC and ICSE students do not know when the rescheduled examination will be held,” said G. Gomes, principal, Julian Day School.mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com