Both the CBSE and CICSE has taken the decision to conduct Semester 1 examination in offline mode, following all covid protocol.  Just after the decision was taken, a small segment of netizens have started campaigns to thwart this student friendly move of the two boards. It is quite apparent that this resistance is emanating from the privileged section of our society, who are in a position to ensure multiple electronic devices, high speed internet connection and extra room in their residences. Unfortunately, vast majority of the students in our country do not come from such privileged families. It should also be noted that many of the schools stated their inability to conduct Semester 1 Examinations in online mode in school campuses – when the option was given to them. When schools are not in a position to provide requisite infrastructure at school buildings, how can the students, who are not from the super privileged families, arrange such infrastructure at their home? Further, one needs to consider the following facts:

(a)    It is now a worldwide accepted fact, that for many years, may be decades, we have to live with Covid19.

(b)    Data from both from international and domestic sources unambiguously indicate that the risk of serious illness to children is absolutely negligible.  

(c)     Sero survey conducted by ICMR showed hat 66% of Indian children below the age of 18 had been affected by Covid19 and developed a certain level of Immunity.

(d)    Out of 36 states and union territories in India in 33 states schools are already open. By 1st November Kerala will also open its schools taking the number of such states to 34 out of 36.

(e)    The no of daily detected case in India has gone down to February 2021 levels and continue to go down steadily.

(f)      With far greater covid numbers JEE Mains, JEE Advance, NEET and all state board conducted entrance examinations to professional courses have been conducted.

For last one and a half a year whenever attempts were made to open educational institutions or conduct examinations, a specific segment of netizens from the privileged families create a racus forcing the withdrawal of such many such decisions. They are neither bothered about the students from under privileged families nor they are inclined to look at the scientific data. This time voice must be raised for the students who are not from such privileged families.

For the sake of the majority of the students appearing for Class X/XI examinations in academic session 2021-2022 we implore you to stick to the decision of conducting the Semester 1 examination in offline mode.