Coronavirus Outbreak: CBSE, JEE exams postponed to after March 31
What's the story
On Wednesday, the HRD ministry asked the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and all educational institutions to postpone the examinations till March 31, because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The order also applies to the examinations organized by the University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE Main).
Quote
Safety and security of students extremely important, says HRD
"While maintenance of academic calendar and exam schedule is important, equally important is safety and security of students who are appearing in various examinations as also of their teachers and parents," HRD secretary Amit Khare asserted.
Twitter Post
Exams rescheduled after March 31
All ongoing examinations of CBSE for Classes 10th 12th, scheduled between 19th March 31st March, shall be rescheduled after 31st March: Anurag Tripathy, CBSE Secretary pic.twitter.com/AwhI2AcYKv
— ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2020
Details
What is the coronavirus outbreak?
First detected in China's Wuhan city in December, COVID-19 is caused by a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. It has killed over 8,000 and sickened 2 lakh people globally.
In India, 151 cases have been reported, out of which, 14 have recovered and three have died. COVID-19 causes flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough, and breathing difficulties.
Severe cases witness pneumonia, multiple organ failure, or death.