Jat protests in Delhi: CBSE issues advisory to board examinees

The CBSE has asked students appearing for board exams in Delhi to reach their centres well ahead of time to avoid any delays that may be caused on the way due to the Jat protests scheduled in the national capital on Monday

The Jat community, under the aegis of the All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangarsh Samiti (AIJASS), is expected to resume their stir in Delhi by marching to the capital to ‘gherao’ the Parliament seeking quota in government jobs and educational institutions. The agitating community also planned to hold multiple dharnas on the day.

The proposed stir coincided with the Class 12 and Class 10 board examinations.

Class 12 graders have a core subject such as Mathematics and other elective papers such as First Aid and Emergency Medical Care, Clinical Bio-chemistry and Microbiology-II, Microbiology (MLT), Health Centre Management, Ophthalmic Techniques-II, Radiography-II (Special Investigation Imaging Radiography) lined up for the day. Students of class 10 will write language papers such as Spanish and Russian, and other elective subjects such as painting.

“...the students and parents are hereby informed and advised to take necessary measures to reach the examination centres well before the scheduled time to avoid any inconvenience in-anticipation to the gherao,” reads an official advisory released by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

Principals of various CBSE affiliated schools in Delhi have also advised their students along the same lines. “We have also asked parents to take the responsibility to ensure that the students reach on time,” said Anuradha Joshi, the principal of Sardar Patel School.

Others, like Ameeta Mulla Wattal, of Springdales School on Pusa road said she will be at the centre to help any student who may get delayed by the agitations. She said the agitation added to the anxiety of students and parents.

“As it is, exams can be quite stressful, especially board exams. So, anxiety has already been running high. Students and parents have approached me, worried about what will happen tomorrow (Monday). Unfortunately, we cannot do much except for asking them to start from home early and try and get to the centres on time,” she said.

“Mathematics is a common subject across the streams. It is common for commerce, science and even humanities. So a sizeable number of students will be appearing for the exams,” added Joshi.

However, Yashpal Malik, prominent Jat leader and president of the AIJASS, assured that it will be a peaceful programme and will not cause inconvenience to people, especially in the first half of the day. “We are coming to Delhi on Monday on being invited by the Central government to discuss our demands. So we will be meeting officials in the morning. So there will be no stir programme until our talks are over. We will get to know the outcome of the talks only by 3-4pm. If our demands are not fulfilled, we will enter Delhi with more than 50,000 tractors,” he said.

But schools are not taking any chance. “We have advised students those who are not appearing for the board exams to refrain from coming to school. We have cancelled our planned excursions, trips and special classes. Teaching and non teaching staff, however will be on duty,” said Wattal.