The CBSE Class XII board exams for this year will be cancelled in view of the pandemic, it has been decided at a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister.

The national board will come out with “well-defined objective criteria in a time-bound manner” to assess the students. Those seeking to improve their performance will get the option of appearing in traditional pen-and-paper exams “as and when the situation becomes conducive”.

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) said in a media release: “In view of the uncertain conditions due to Covid and the feedback obtained from various stakeholders, it was decided that the Class XII board exams would not be held this year. It was also decided that the CBSE would take steps to compile the results of Class XII students as per a well-defined objective criteria in a time-bound manner.”

The Supreme Court had on Monday said the Centre must give a “tangible” reason if it decides to go ahead with the Class XII board examinations amid the pandemic. The court was hearing a plea alleging discrimination against Class XII students as the CBSE had already cancelled the Class X exams.

This is the first time the decision to cancel a CBSE board exam has been taken at the level of the Prime Minister.

Earlier, Narendra Modi had held three meetings on the CBSE board exams.

Also, a group of minister (GoM) headed by the defence minister had discussed the possibility of conducting the Class XII exams. The GoM meeting was attended by state education ministers.

Nearly 14 lakh students had registered for the Class XII exams.

Principals, teachers and parents welcomed the decision. Some academics advised the CBSE to develop the assessment criteria keeping in mind the fact that schools usually adopt a conservative approach while awarding marks in pre-board exams. An academic cautioned against government interference in academic affairs of school boards and universities.

The PIB release said the meeting chaired by the Prime Minister reviewed the wide and extensive consultations held over the exams and the views received from all stakeholders, including state governments.

On May 23, the GoM had hinted that the exams might be held. That meeting had discussed two proposals for the conduct of the exams, triggering protests from ministers in Opposition-ruled states like Delhi, Maharashtra, Punjab, Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had on Monday written to education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal to cancel the exams and announce results on the basis of internal assessments.

According to the PIB release, the Prime Minister said that the decision to cancel the Class XII CBSE exams had been taken in the interest of the students.

Tuesday’s meeting helmed by the Prime Minister was attended by the Union ministers of home, defence, finance, commerce, information and broadcasting, petroleum and women and child development, the principal secretary to the Prime Minister, the cabinet secretary, the secretaries of the school education and higher education departments and other officials, the release said.

An academic and former chairman of a national school board who did not wish to be identified disapproved of the trend of politicians and bureaucrats taking key decisions on academic affairs, which “should be left to academic bodies and school boards”.

“I can say with full conviction that the CBSE could have held the exams and certified students (in a way) that would have been valid and reliable. There is no need for any government or bureaucracy to interfere and make it a political issue,” he said.

Education minister Pokhriyal had on December 31 announced that the Classes X and XII board exams would begin from May 4. Ideally, the students and teachers should have been vaccinated after the announcement of the dates, the academic said.

The 21.5 lakh Class X CBSE students will be graded on the basis of a formula that will give 80 per cent weightage to school exams and 20 per cent to internal assessments.

The internal assessment will be on performance in projects, notebook writing, homework and classroom activities. Each school will form a panel of teachers to award 80 marks to school-based exams whose break-up will be 10 marks for periodic tests, 30 marks for half-yearly exams and 40 marks for pre-board exams.

Academic Usha Ram said schools were usually tight-fisted in awarding marks in pre-board exams.

“Whatever criteria are developed (for Class XII), the board should keep in mind that bright students do not suffer,” she said.

Ram said students planning to go abroad for higher studies might like to appear for the optional pen-and-paper exams when they are held.

Sangita Bhatia, principal of KIIT World School, said the government had no choice but to cancel the exams.

“It is not in the interest of students to hold exams in the physical space when they have been away from school since March 2020,” Bhatia said.

Kiran Mehta, the dean of academics of Mother Mary School, highlighted the health risks associated with holding the exams in the middle of a pandemic.

“In my opinion, this is the best decision. Students should not be subjected to exams at this point. They have not been vaccinated. The second wave has affected a large number of families,” Mehta said.

Sanjeev Kumar, a parent, welcomed the decision and said the health of children was the priority.