CBSE Class X exam cancelled

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 14

Amid the Covid surge, the government today decided to postpone the CBSE Class XII exams and cancel Class X exams and to double the production of antiviral injection Remdesivir.

The Education Ministry said: “The board exams for Class XII to be held from May 4 to June 14 are postponed. These exams will be held hereafter. The situation will be reviewed on June 1 by the board and the details will be shared subsequently. A notice of at least 15 days will be given before the start of the examinations”.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal and key officials.

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The result of Class X will be prepared on the basis of objective criterion to be devised by the board. “Any candidate who is not satisfied with the marks allocated to him/her will be given an opportunity to sit in an exam as and when the conditions are conducive to hold the exams,” Pokhriyal said.

As the daily Covid 19 cases hit a new peak of 2 lakh cases on Wednesday and the 24-hour fatality figure crossed 1,000 for the first time in six months, the government announced measures to double the production of antiviral injection Remdesivir even as seven local manufacturers of the drug volunteered to bring down the price from Rs 3,500 a vial. Short supplies of Remdesivir (a sought-after investigational drug allowed for hospitalised Covid patients on oxygen) have been reported in the country.

The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers today said it was fast-tracking approvals for seven additional production sites for Remdesivir and would also use special economic zone units for the purpose. The Centre also made it clear that Remdesivir was not to be used for Covid patients with mild infections. The current installed capacity of the seven manufacturers of Remdesivir in India is 38.80 lakh vials per month. “Fast-track approval has been given for seven additional sites having the production capacity of 10 lakh vials a month. The production of another 30 lakh vials a month is lined up. This would ramp up the capacity for manufacturing to around 78 lakh vials per month,” the government said.

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