Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced that appearing for classes 10, and 12 board exams twice a year will not be mandatory for students and the option is being introduced to reduce stress caused by the fear of single opportunity.

Board Examination 2024: Board examinations are standardized tests conducted by educational boards or authorities at the end of an academic year. Board exams can be a significant source of stress and anxiety for several students. The stress associated with board exams can stem from various factors, including peer and parental expectations, and the importance of the results for future educational and career prospects. Earlier today, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced that appearing for classes 10, and 12 board exams twice a year will not be mandatory for students and the option is being introduced to reduce stress caused by the fear of single opportunity. In an interview to the news agency PTI, the Union Education Minister stated the issue of ‘dummy schools’ cannot be ignored and the time has come to have a serious discussion about it.

Board Exams Twice A Year Not Mandatory: Here’s What Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan

Choose Best Score…Option introduced to reduce the stress: Union Education Minister

“The students will have the option of appearing for the (class 10 and 12 board) exams twice a year just like engineering entrance exam JEE. They can choose the best score… but it will be completely optional, no compulsion. “The students often get stressed thinking they lost a year, their chance is gone or could have performed better… the option is being introduced to reduce the stress caused by the fear of single opportunity,” Pradhan said, PTI reported. “If any student feels that he is completely prepared and is satisfied with the score in the first set of exams, he can choose not to appear for the next exams. Nothing will be mandatory,” he added.

What Does the New Curriculum Framework (NCF) Say?

As per the New Curriculum Framework (NCF) announced by the Ministry of Education in August, board examinations will be held twice a year to ensure that students have enough time and opportunity to perform well and get an option to retain the best score. Pradhan stated he has received positive feedback from students on the plan to conduct board exams twice a year.

“I met students after the New Curriculum Framework (NCF) was announced. They have appreciated this and are happy with the idea. We are trying that the exams are conducted twice a year from 2024 itself,” he further said.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Kota Suicide

When asked about the alarming increase in student suicides in Kota, Rajasthan this year, the minister responded, “It is a very sensitive issue. No lives should be lost… they are our children. It is our collective responsibility to ensure the students are stress-free.”

Every year, lakhs of students move to Kota to prepare for competitive exams such as the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) for engineering and the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to India’s best engineering and medical colleges. As per official figures, 23 students committed suicide in Kota this year — the highest ever for the country’s coaching hub. Last year, the figure was 15.

(With PTI Inputs)