Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday announced that the state Class 12 board exam 2021 has been cancelled in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE) had originally scheduled the exam to be held from May 1 but were put on hold amid rising coronavirus cases. A decision on conducting the MP Class 12 board exam was due to be taken in the first week of June.

“The Class 12 board exams in Madhya Pradesh will not be conducted this year. Children’s lives are precious to us. When the whole country and the state is facing the wrath of the pandemic, the mental burden of examination on children is not justified,” CM Chouhan told ANI.

The decision comes a day after the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) decided to cancel their Class 12 board exams for this year.

The CM said the government has formed a group of ministers who will discuss with experts and decide the course of the results after considering internal evaluation or other grounds. MPBSE will subsequently issue the assessment criteria on Class 12 cancelled exams. The board might consider internal assessment marks to reward students.

The leader further said that if a student wishes to take the board exam for better results, then the option will be given to appear for the exam after the Covid-19 situation improves.

The Madhya Pradesh Board has already cancelled the Class 10 exam over health concerns and students will be promoted on the basis of internal assessment.