According to a Ministry of Education (Government of India) announcement on Twitter, Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank will announce the dates for CBSE board exams of 10th and 12th standards on 31 December.

Twitter message of Education Ministry says ‘Union Minister of Education Shri @DrRPNishank
will announce the date when the exams will commence for students appearing for #CBSE board exams in 2021.
Follow the twitter handle ‘@DrRPNishank’ to stay updated!’

The two Twitter announcements only means one thing that focus is slowly shifting towards CBSE board exams to be held next year.

This year (2020) has been a tumultous one indeed with for education sector in the country. Things proved no different with regards to economy also.

CBSE board exams could never be conducted as per the planned schedule during 2020.

First hinderance came in form of violent protests over Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

CBSE board exams could not be conducted as per the schedule particularly in the national capital.

CBSE board exams great dates to be out on Dec 31

While dates were decided and things began moving smooth with regards to conducting CBSE board exams this year, obstruction came in form of outbreak of corona virus.

Entire nation went into a phase of lockdown for more than five months leaving scant scope for conducting CBSE board exams.

As per the usual practise, the CBSE board exams are conducted between February and March, the time table for that is released in November.

However, the timetable release for CBSE board exams could not happen on time this year owing to COVID-19 situation.

The worry that bothered parents and students this year is likely to continue next year, says S. Krishna Kumar, a Physics teacher in a CBSE school.

COVID-19 situation caused enough concern this year and same is to make its repurcussions felt next year also, as many feel academic activities have begun in a delayed manner, he says.

A delayed start this year can also mean that very little time could be available for students to prepare for exams next year, says T. Meenakshi, also a teacher with a CBSE school.

If there is some problem with the dates, then students may endup with little time for preparation.
This also means, there may be little time left even for syllabus completion, says Meenakshi.

Interestingly, there are students no less in number who are toeing on the sameline.

As far a students are concerned, they have been asking for more time to prepare for the CBSE board exams in 2021.

While Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank made an announcement that dates of CBSE board exams for 2021 will be revealed on 31 December, students have asked more time by suggesting the board exams have to be postponed till April or May.

Couple of other students are asking for further postponement to June. June would be a comfortable time, says S. Srinivasa Raghavan, a 10th student.

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Conducting CBSE board exams in June will give ample time for us to prepare, he says. Many other students have asked more time saying that their syllabus has not been completed.

It is interesting to note that Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank interacted with students and teachers through a webinar earlier.

On the first occasion he interacted with students, on the second occasion Union Minister interacted with teachers.

On both the occasions, Union Minister cleared doubts regarding CBSE board exams of 2021, competitive exams like JEE Mains and NEET 2021.

Some of the points mentioned in the meeting were that CBSE board exams would be conducted offline, students are likely to get more time from one exam to other in CBSE board exams.

He further said in the interaction that JEE Mains will be held four times in next year.

While interaction happened and announcements were made, one has to accept that clarity with regards to CBSE board exams of 2021 is still lacking.

Students, parents and teachers only pray that clarity should prevail at the earliest as far as CBSE board exams are concerned.

This will allow students to better prepare for the exams.

CBSE sample paper
As the talk about CBSE board exams of 2021 is gearing momentum, students can begin focusing on exams.

They can commence their preparation with help of sample question papers that are available on the website of CBSE at ‘http://cbseacademic.nic.in/#’

Once the website downloads after clicking the above mentioned link, candidates can see a menu written in white colour on green background.

Students can click ‘Sample Question Paper’ in that menu and see another menu coming out, they can choose ‘SQP 2020-2021.’

Students can click any one of the above classes based on his requirement. Once clicked, they can see a list of subjects and question papers (SQP) and Marking Scheme (MS) located next to it.

To avail question papers for CBSE board-exams preparation, they can click SQP, to know the marking scheme they can click MS.

As of now, Accountancy, Arabic, Biology, Assamese, Chemistry are among the available subjects, a few more subjects would be added soon.

This collaboration agreement seeks to capitalize on the strengths of both institutions, broadening the learning experience for students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science (BS) programs at IIT Madras and undergraduate programs at IIT Palakkad.

To date, over 30,000 students are actively participating in this program, fostering a vibrant and interactive learning community, say sources from IIT Palakkad.

Director of IIT Madras

Welcoming this collaboration, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said IIT Madras is committed to reach quality education to every deserving student in our country. This initiative with IIT Palakkad is a very significant step towards reaching the goals.

We are enthusiastic about mentoring these bright minds. Our courses and internships have a strong emphasis on hands-on learning and innovation, said director of IIT Palakkad.

This collaboration with IIT Madras will build a robust foundation that equips students with the skills, insights, and networks they need to excel, he said.

Key features

The key features of this collaboration include:

Ø Credit Transfer from IITPkd Courses: IIT Madras BS (Data Science and Applications) students who meet the eligibility criteria can fulfil their credit requirements by taking courses at IIT Palakkad, promoting an exchange of academic resources and expertise.

Ø Access to IIT Madras Courses for IIT Palakkad Students: The MoU allows undergraduate students at IIT Palakkad to enrol in courses on Data Science and Programming from the IIT Madras BS program, ensuring equitable access to these cutting-edge skills.

Ø Support for Additional Initiatives: The collaboration will also facilitate student exchange programs, internship opportunities, and other joint initiatives.

Commitment

This collaboration between IIT Madras and IITPkd highlights the commitment of both institutions to enrich student experiences through cross-disciplinary exposure, practical learning, and research opportunities.

It aims to create a robust academic ecosystem that utilizes the expertise and infrastructure of both IITs.

Collaboration

IIT Madras has been collaborating with other leading institutions in the country to provide in-person learning opportunities for final-year students in the BS program.

IIT Gandhinagar, IIIT Hyderabad, and Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI) have already made their campus courses available to eligible students from the IIT Madras BS (Data Science) degree program.

About IIT Palakkad

Established in 2015, the Indian Institute of Technology, Palakkad is dedicated to creating an environment that enables students and faculty to engage in the pursuit of knowledge, to dream, think, and innovate thereby becoming change agents for a better world.

Having begun with just 120 students in July 2015, IIT Palakkad has since grown into an establishment that is about a thousand students strong and with the best manpower in key positions.

IITPkd aims to become a multi-disciplinary institution with 5000 students by its 10th year. The Institute recognizes collective growth, in collaboration with industry and other academic institutions, as the need of the time and emphasizes blue-sky research and directed research as two essential pillars of technology development.

The Institute embraces a vision to be a leader in cross-disciplinary inquiries, and to contribute to the potential that India’s demographic dividend represents for the country and the world, which is embodied in the motto of the institute “Nurturing minds for a better world”.

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