Amid case surge, Chhattisgarh schools shut, students get promoted

NEW DELHI: Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in Chhattisgarh, the Bhupesh Baghel government on Sunday said students of all classes will be promoted without examinations, except those from Class 10 and 12.

An order to this effect, which will be applicable to state-run, Central as well as private schools, was issued late evening by the state education department, said a public relations department official. "All schools will be shut till further orders and all students, except Class 10 and 12, will be given a general promotion to the next class without holding examinations," the order said. "The board exams of Class 10 and 12 will be held offline as per the schedule declared earlier by Chhattisgarh Board of Secondary Education (CGBSE) while complying with all coronavirus preventive guidelines issued by the Centre and state government from time to time," the order added.

Schools, colleges and universities, which were shut since the coronavirus-induced lockdown imposed in the country last year, were reopened from February 15, though only students of Classes 9 to 12 had to attend. In the previous academic session too, the state government had promoted students of all classes, except Class 10 and 12, after the coronavirus-induced lockdown was imposed in March last year.

Meanwhile, the state's Skill Development, Technical Education and Employment Department has ordered to shut all government and private engineering colleges, polytechnic colleges, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and skill development training and educational activities. An employment-cum-skill fair scheduled to be held on Tuesday in Abhanpur in Raipur has been canceled, the official said.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel chaired a meeting of cabinet ministers and senior officials in view of the sudden surge in COVID-19 cases in the last one week. Chhattisgarh's COVID-19 tally mounted to 3,24,153 on Sunday as 1,000 people tested positive for the infection.