Aizawl, April 16 (PTI): A day after Mizoram Education minister Lalchhandama Ralte announced the resumption of class-12 board examination, a group of students on Thursday launched a campaign on social media demanding postponement of the re-scheduled exams till normalcy returns.
Many students took to Instagram under the hashtag "mbse no exam no risk" blaming the state government for its decision to resume the board exams amid the lockdown.
The students also showed placard demanding the state government to postpone the re-scheduled exams till normalcy returns in the state.
"Our demand is not that we should not write the exam forever, but our exam should not come at this time of crisis.
What will happen to those students, who already left Mizoram and those who live in villages as the MHA new guidelines states that not only all education institutions should be suspended, but also prohibits inter-district and inter-state movement till May 3," Francis Laltlankima, a class-12 student of St Paul Higher Secondary school told PTI.
He said that the Mizoram Board School Education (MBSE) had earlier said that the suspended examination will be resumed only after the lockdown and once normalcy returned in the state.
Although the board asked students to appear in nearest or their choice of centre, the risk remains as many students have to travel as exam centres are not available in their villages.
"Why are we conducting exams in this tiny state when even the CBSE exams are yet to be finished?. The government ought to listen to the voice of students, who are the future leaders," he said.
Francis said that a group of students have launched a campaign on Instagram and other social media platform demanding the state government to postpone the re-scheduled exams till the world is back to normalcy.
Meanwhile, Bhupesh Chaudhary, the deputy commissioner of Siaha district on Thursday wrote to the MBSE informing that the decision on the recommencement of the board exams was against the Centres guidelines.
In the letter addressed to the controller of examinations, MBSE, Chaudhary said that the lockdown measure stipulated in the consolidated guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs issued on Wednesday for containment of Covid-19 epidemic will continue to remain in force till May 3.
"The notification for re-commencement of HSSLC (Arts, Science and Commerce) examination from April 22 in Siaha is a clear violation of the MHA order and therefore, no exemption can be accorded for the class-12 board examinations," the letter said.
B. Vanlaltana, president of states apex student body Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) has endorsed the state government decision and said that the student body wanted to complete examination on the remaining subjects as earliest as possible.
Lalchhandama Ralte on Wednesday announced that examination for high school leaving certificate (HSSLC) or class-12 will be resumed on April 22 and will continue till April 24 for remaining three subjects in arts, science and commerce streams.
He said that resumption of the exam was inevitable and the issue has been discussed by the cabinet and meeting of NGOs and political parties on Monday.
The MBSE on Thursday issued a notification informing the students to appear in the nearest examination centre as per their convenience.