News Analysis India

Tag: Maharashtra students

  • COVID-19 surge: Maharashtra postpones Class 10, 12 board exams 

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government on Monday postponed the state board exams of Classes 10 and 12, which were scheduled to be held later this month, in view of a steep rise in COVID-19 cases in the state.

    The board exams of Class 12 were to begin from April 23 and of Class 10 from April 30.

    “Given the current COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra, we’ve postponed state board exams for class 10th & 12th. The present circumstances are not conducive for holding exams. Your health is our priority,” state School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad tweeted.

    “Keeping in mind the schedule of entrance exams for professional courses, class 12th exams will be held by end of May, while 10th standard exams will be in June,” she said in a series of tweets.

    ALSO READ | Most deaths in Maharashtra as 10 states show steep rise in daily COVID-19 cases 

    The health situation was being closely monitored and fresh dates for the postponed exams would be announced soon, Gaikwad said.

    The decision is the outcome of consultations with various stakeholders, like students, teachers, parents, elected representatives from across parties, academicians and tech giants, the minister said.

    “We’ll also be writing to the CBSE, ICSE, IB, Cambridge boards, requesting them to reconsider their exams dates,” she said.

    Imp Announcement: Given the current #COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra, we’ve postponed state board exams for class 10th & 12th. The present circumstances are not conducive for holding exams. Your health is our priority. #PariskhaPeCharcha #HSC #SSC #exams (1/5) pic.twitter.com/cjeRZAT7ux
    — Varsha Gaikwad (@VarshaEGaikwad) April 12, 2021

    Thanking Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for approving the decision, Gaikwad said during the consultations, various alternative assessment options were evaluated keeping the health, well-being and future of students in mind.

    “Postponing exams seemed to be the most pragmatic solution,” she added.

    On Sunday, Maharashtra recorded 63,294 new cases of coronavirus, its highest single-day rise since the pandemic broke out, which pushed the caseload to 34,07,245, as per official figures.

  • Hundreds of farmers and students from Maharashtra leave for Delhi

    By PTI
    NAGPUR: Hundreds of farmers from various regions of Maharashtra, joined by students and people from various walks of life, on Sunday night left for Delhi from Nagpur to join cultivators who have been protesting at the borders of the national capital for over a month seeking the repeal of three agri laws, a Kisan Sabha leader said.

    He said widows of those farmers who had committed suicide over farm debt and related issues from east Maharashtra and Marathwada regions, have also joined this “Chalo Delhi” vehicle march.

    Earlier in the day, students, youngsters and people from various walks of life hailing from Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Nashik, Aurangabad, Ahmed Nagar and other districts gathered in Nagpur under the aegis of ‘Maharashtra Rajya Kisan Sabha’.

    They took out a march in afternoon and a meeting was held at Sanvidhan chowk in evening.

    “These farmers and others have left for Delhi in 40-odd vehicles, including buses and four-wheelers,” Nagpur district secretary of Kisan Sabha, Arun Wankar, told PTI.

    He said about 800 members of the Maharashtra Rajya Kisan Sabha are also going to Delhi to join the protesting farmers.

    “We want to support the farmers who are protesting in a peaceful manner against the three anti-farmer laws which were passed in a dictatorial manner by the Central government,” Wankar said.

    ALSO READ: Uttarakhand farmers start free bus service to Delhi protest site

    Savita Jadhav (26), who came from Parbhani district in Marathwada region along with 35 other women, said her farmer husband and her father committed suicides in 2010 and 2017, respectively, over their failure to repay loans taken for farming.

    “I am going to Delhi to support the cause of farmers. I request the government to rehabilitate the families of those farmers who have committed suicide over loans. I also urge the government to scrap the farm laws in the interest of agriculturists,” she said.

    Braving the cold, thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, are protesting at various borders of the national capital for more than a month against the three laws.

    ALSO READ: Rains, waterlogging cause inconvenience to farmers protesting at Delhi borders

    The government has presented these laws as major agriculture sector reforms aimed at helping farmers and increasing their income, but the protesting unions fear that the new legislations will leave them at the mercy of big corporates by weakening the MSP and mandi systems.

    After the sixth round of formal negotiations on Wednesday, the government and farm unions reached some common ground to resolve protesting farmers’ concerns over rise in power tariff and penalties for stubble burning, but the two sides remained deadlocked over the main contentious issues.