Students to Have Option for Biannual 10th and 12th Board Exams Starting 2025-26 Academic Year: Education Minister Pradhan
New Delhi, 20-02-2024 : Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced that beginning from the academic session of 2025-26, students will have the flexibility to appear for their 10th and 12th class board examinations twice a year. This initiative aligns with one of the key goals outlined in the new National Education Policy (NEP) introduced in 2020, aiming to alleviate academic pressure on students, Pradhan stated on Monday during the launch of the PM SHRI (Prime Minister Schools for Rising India) scheme in Chhattisgarh. The scheme intends to upgrade 211 schools in the state and was inaugurated at the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay auditorium in Raipur.
Pradhan emphasized the importance of integrating extracurricular activities such as art, culture, and sports into the academic curriculum, highlighting the introduction of 10 bag-less days annually in schools as part of the NEP framework. Under the NEP 2020, board exams will be conducted at least twice a year to afford students ample time and opportunities to demonstrate their academic capabilities, with the option to retain their best scores.
Addressing students directly, Pradhan sought their feedback on the decision and encouraged them to strive for their best performance in both exam sessions, assuring them that the highest scores obtained would be recognized. He reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision outlined in the NEP, emphasizing the government’s commitment to fostering a stress-free learning environment, providing quality education, and preserving cultural heritage to prepare students for future challenges.
Taking a swipe at the previous Congress-led state government, Pradhan criticized its neglect of the education sector, contrasting it with the renewed emphasis placed on education since the BJP assumed power and Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai took office in December last year.
The PM SHRI scheme will be implemented in two phases, with the first phase focusing on upgrading 211 schools across Chhattisgarh, comprising both elementary and secondary levels. Each school will receive Rs 2 crore in funding, following a ‘hub and spoke’ model, where mentor institutions guide and support mentee institutions for self-improvement.
Responding to a request from Chhattisgarh’s School and Higher Education Minister Brijmohan Agrawal, Pradhan assured that more secondary and higher secondary schools would be included in the subsequent phases of the PM SHRI scheme.
In a forward-looking initiative, Pradhan also expressed India’s ambition to bid for hosting the 2036 Olympics Games, urging preparations to commence promptly and setting a target for Chhattisgarh athletes to contribute significantly to India’s medal tally in the quadrennial event.
The event witnessed the presence of Chief Minister Sai, Minister Agrawal, and other senior officials, underscoring the government’s commitment to advancing education and sports infrastructure in Chhattisgarh.
