At a time when several states including Maharashtra are facing a sharp uptick in Covid-19 cases, the Shiv Sena has petitioned the Centre for a uniform policy vis-à-vis 10th and 12th standard board examinations to avoid any future discrimination and disadvantages.
Mumbai South MP and Shiv Sena chief spokesperson Arvind Sawant has written a letter to union education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal to consider all the issues concerning the students, who are to appear for board examinations in April-May.
Sawant, a close aide of Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, requested that there should be a clear communication from the Centre.
“All students come in the age group that has not been allowed to be vaccinated by the health ministry. The exams due in a few days will have millions of students and their families and teachers/invigilators, the non-teaching staff at high risk considering the virulence of the current pandemic,” he said.
According to him, many students and teachers are also coming from micro containment zones as constantly suggested by the union health ministry which makes logistics difficult,” he said.
Sawant said that multiple boards operate in India – CBSE, ICSE, State Boards, IB, IGCSE to name a few for the 10th and 12th standard exams.
“Apart from the state boards, two boards are national in nature and two are international, whereby your kind intervention and guidance is required,” the senior Shiv Sena leader and former union minister wrote.
Sawant pointed out that any unilateral decision by any state would lead to the students of that particular state being at a disadvantage, career and opportunity wise. “Your intervention would mean national consensus , instead of a unilateral decision from any particular state,” he said and called for a “uniform decision for the country” so that there is no discrimination.
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