No Examination Without Vaccination: Akhilesh Yadav on Class 12 Board Exams

With the Centre divided between holding exams for class 12 board students, some ministers, educationists and parents are demanding that students be vaccinated before holding the board exams. Former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav has demanded that exams should not be held without vaccinating students. He tweeted, “No Examination Without Vaccination.”

States like Kerala and Delhi have also demanded vaccination. Even, Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia who also holds the education portfolio in the AAP government also demanded that children be vaccinated before the exams. He had said, “The stubbornness of organizing the examination by playing with the safety of the children will prove to be a big mistake and a failure” He also added that the central government should talk to Pfizer and bring vaccines for teachers class 12 students across the country. “Alternatively, 95 per cent of Class 12 students above the age of 17.5 years, Centre should talk to experts if they can be given Covishield, Covaxin,” suggested Sisodia.

The Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has asked states/UTs to send suggestions by May 25, regarding holding of the class 12 board exams. According to sources, the CBSE has proposed conducting exams between July 15 and August 26 but the final decision will be out on June 1.

However, several health and education experts have said that the demand is impractical, as reported by news agency PTI. Dr Gurpreet Sandhu, President, Council for Healthcare and Pharma, said that with the active vaccination drive, the resumption of normal activities have become a possibility and hence, it would become important to inoculate our younger population. However, he observed that “all around the world that infections in children are nearly always mild or asymptomatic as opposed to what happens in the adult population. There are very less evidence of potential for transmission in young children and therefore vaccinating can have an impact on overall transmission.”

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