More than 7 lakh SSLC students heaved a collective sigh of relief as they stepped out of their exam centres on Friday, having given their last written paper.
From June 25 to July 3, in the backdrop of a surge in COVID-19 cases, lakhs of students, clad in masks and armed with sanitisers, wrote the board examination under unprecedented precautionary conditions.
“The examination went smoothly with the cooperation and coordination of various government departments, the district administrations, and also society at large and it was conducted as a Naada Habba,” said Minister for Primary and Secondary Education S. Suresh Kumar at a press conference.
The exam was originally scheduled between March 27 and April 9, but was postponed owing to the lockdown. Mr. Suresh Kumar said that this year, 98.1% students appeared for the exam as compared to 98.76% in 2018-19. Of the 7,76,251 students who registered for the examination on Friday, 7,61,506 reported to centres and wrote the paper, said Mr. Suresh Kumar.
There were also students who missed the exam owing to COVID-19 or related issues.
“Thirty-two students were not allowed to appear as they tested positive for COVID-19, while 80 students were under home quarantine. Around 109 migrant students and 49 in neighbouring States also could not appear due to inter-State travel. All these children will be permitted to write the supplementary exam as fresh candidates,” he said.
Students who also missed the examination due to genuine reasons, like accidents or health complications, will be given a chance to write the supplementary examination.
Practical exam
The practical and oral examination for Junior Technical School (JTS) candidates will be conducted on July 4
