The West Bengal education boards will hold the Class 10 and 12 board exams in June 2021, state education minister Partha Chatterjee announced on Wednesday. According to reports, the Class 10 (Madhyamik) exams will be held first and the Class 12 (Ucchya Madhyamik) examinations after that.

The board exams are usually held between February and March every year but the Covid-19 pandemic has upended exam schedules throughout the country. Moreover, West Bengal Assembly elections are likely to be held in March or April next year.

“The West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education and the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education have both informed us that they want to hold the final examinations in June next year. We have asked them to decide the schedules of the examinations and announce accordingly,” Chatterjee said on Wednesday, reported HT.

Schools have been shut in Bengal since before the lockdown in March and classes are being held online. The syllabus for both secondary and higher education have already been reduced by more than 30 per cent to reduce pressure on students. The qualifying examinations for both tests have also been done away with.

West Bengal’s announcement comes just a day after Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ruled out conducting CBSE board exams till February next year in view of the Covid-19 situation. Besides this, the minister reiterated that the CBSE board exams will be held on a reduced syllabus.