CBSE 2021 board exams will be held in written mode, not online: officials

India’s Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has said the board examinations of 2021 will be conducted in the conventional written mode, adding there was no proposal to conduct the exams online.

"The board examinations of 2021 will be in the regular written manner and not online," the CBSE stated.

The dates of examination, however, have not been decided yet, officials said.

"No final decision has been taken regarding the dates for conduct of board exams, and consultations with stakeholders are still in process. The exams, as and when they are conducted, will be in written mode and not in an online mode. The exams will be conducted following all Covid-19 protocols," a senior CBSE official was quoted by PTI.

According to the Ministry of Education, "conducting the examinations is important to ensure the progress as well as better future of the students".

This year, amid the pandemic and 'new normal' scheme of things, a wide range of discussions have been underway among students, parents and teachers regarding the examinations.

From registration of board exams to classroom operations, everything is being conducted virtually.

Earlier, Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank had said: "Online education is a big challenge for students who are constantly away from school and college. But students should always be ready to turn this challenge into an opportunity."

In view of all such possibilities, the government has taken a new initiative to conduct the examinations timely amid the Covid-19 situation.

The minister has planned a three-stage dialogue with the alumni, parents and teachers for conducting the examinations. He is likely to communicate directly with students, parents and teachers through webinars on three different dates.

After this virtual dialogue, the education minister will review the examinations to be held in the states and union territories. In this way, a detailed plan to conduct the examinations will be made according to the orders of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

"The biggest challenge is to study with better resolve and will, and to release the results on time so that students do not waste an entire academic year," he said, adding "for the better future of students, it is necessary to conduct examinations across the country on time".