Organising the class 12 Board examinations before vaccinating the candidates and playing with their safety can result in a huge mistake, said Manish Sisodia, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister, who is also in charge of the Education department in Delhi’s AAP government. The demand was put forward by Sisodia in a high-level meet held by Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’. The meeting was being chaired by Union Minister Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Sisodia further stressed on the safety of the students and suggested that the 1.5 crore Class 12 students across the country must be vaccinated on priority basis before they sit for any exam. 

It is the opinion of the Delhi government that the interest in conducting exams should not be pursued by jeopardising the health and security of children… The practice and understanding of education we have dictates that we first have to teach children, then conduct exams, and then pass or fail them. But that’s all in an ideal scenario. In the real world, 2.5 lakh people in India are being infected by the coronavirus very day and it is being said that the third wave could affect children more… we can’t sacrifice our children for traditions of the education set-up,” he said in a press conference following the meeting.

Centre is likely to take a final call on pending Class 12 Board examinations and subsequent entrance examinations that were postponed in the view of the second wave of the pandemic.

The vaccination demand had gone up tremendously in adults and children. Pediatricians claim that they have seen a rise in cases of anxiety and screen addiction among children as they continue to be confined to their homes for over a year now. While America, Singapore and other countries have already rolled out their guideline for vaccines below the age of 18, India is yet to take a stance on the same.

Also Read: Gurugram student raises funds for Covid relief, donates oxygen concentrators