Wayanad MP and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has asked the government to reconsider the decision to hold the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) board exams in view of the rising COVID19 cases.

Rahul Gandhi also advised the government to consult all stakeholders before taking a decision.

Rahul Gandhi in a tweet, said, “In the light of the devastating Corona second wave, conducting #CBSE exams must be reconsidered. All stakeholders must be consulted before making sweeping decisions.”

“On how many counts does GOI intend to play with the future of India’s youth?” he added.

In the light of the devastating Corona second wave, conducting #CBSE exams must be reconsidered. All stakeholders must be consulted before making sweeping decisions.

On how many counts does GOI intend to play with the future of India’s youth?

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 11, 2021

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had earlier in the day written to Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank on the same issue. She said that it’s ‘shocking’ that the CBSE has decided to go ahead with exams despite parents expressing fears and ‘apprehensions’ about assembling at exam centres in the middle of the second wave of the pandemic. She said these ‘apprehensions’ are not ‘unreasonable’, so exams should be cancelled.

In her letter, she had said, “It will be practically impossible to ensure the safety of students at large and at crowded exam centres. Additionally, given the nature and the spread of the virus, it is not just the students who will be at risk but also their teachers, invigilators and family members who are in contact with them. Aside from this, by forcing the children to sit for these exams during a raging pandemic, the Government and the CBSE board will be held responsible in the event that any of the exam centres prove to be hotspots at which large numbers of children become infected with the disease.”

देश भर में कोरोना के बढ़ते मामलों के बीच छात्रों व उनके अभिवावकों ने CBSE परीक्षा 2021 को लेकर कुछ वाजिब चिंताएं जाहिर की हैं।

My letter to the Minister of Education @DrRPNishank asking him to reconsider allowing the CBSE to conduct board exams under the prevailing COVID wave. pic.twitter.com/Ai4Zl796il

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) April 11, 2021

(With IANS inputs)