Holding exams during COVID-19 will impose health risk: Aaditya Thackrey writes to PM Modi

Mumbai: Maharashtra cabinet minister Aaditya Thackeray on Monday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking postponement of professional courses examinations as well as entrance exams in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thackrey in the letter also urged the Prime Minister to start the new academic session from January 2021 instead of starting it in 2020. He said, ''We may also think of starting our academic year from January 2021 instead of June/July 2020 so that no student loses the academic year.''

Aaditya Thackeray shared the letter in his official Twitter handle writing, ''I have written to the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri @narendramodi ji on the health risk that the proposed exams of various streams, and entrance exams, would have for students and families across India and for his personal intervention.''

I have written to the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri @narendramodi ji on the health risk that the proposed exams of various streams, and entrance exams, would have for students and families across India and for his personal intervention. pic.twitter.com/nBAk0Ef7od — Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) August 24, 2020

Thackeray's letter further read, ''It is not a practical and feasible option to hold examinations in such a situation. Most of the states are facing increasing numbers of COVID-19 (cases) along with red zones (which have reported positive cases)," 

The Centre favours holding JEE and CET examinations for which lakhs of students appear every year, but Aaditya Thackeray has been opposing them, citing the COVID-19 crisis.

The youth wing of the Shiv Sena the Yuva Sena which is headed by Aaditya Thackeray -- has already approached the Supreme Court seeking its intervention to postpone examinations.

The state environment minister also demanded the postponement of the entire academic year.

 For non-professional courses, most of their academic assessment has been carried out and the final examination would not amount to more than 10 per cent of assessment. Hence, it may be passed on a marking system devised by the universities," Aaditya Thackeray.