A fresh surge of 13,500 Covid cases – the highest single-day spike so far – has taken Delhi’s caseload to 7,36,788 total infections, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said today as he urged the central government to cancel CBSE board exams. This is the third consecutive day that the national capital witnessed a record spike in Covid infections.
“In the last 24 hours, the city saw a surge of 13,500 fresh Covid cases. At the peak of third Covid wave in November, Delhi had seen the biggest single-day surge of 8,500 cases. The fourth wave, as we all know, is much more dangerous. Youth and children are getting affected amid the fourth wave,” Arvind Kejriwal said during a video address this afternoon.
“Six lakh children in Delhi are going to write CBSE exams. Nearly one lakh teachers will be a part of it. These (the centres) can become major hotspots leading to large-scale spreading of corona. Children’s lives and health are very important to us. I request the Centre to cancel the CBSE exams,” he said at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
The Central Board of Secondary Education can explore other methods, including online exams and promoting students on the basis of internal assessments, he said.
“Several countries have done it, some states in India are doing it too. Some alternative methods could be thought of. Children can be promoted this time on the basis of either an online method or internal assessment. But the exams should be cancelled,” he added.
The CBSE Class 10 and 12 exams are scheduled to begin on May 4. With the exponential increase in coronavirus cases, the chorus for cancellation or postponing the board exams is growing.
