The Week In Education: CBSE 2021 date sheet, a tepid education budget

NEW DELHI: Funds for education will shrink in the next financial year as the Union Budget 2021 proposes cuts to the tune of 6% to the education budget, with school education facing the steepest cuts.

It has dropped a question-mark over the implementation of reforms proposed in the National Education Policy 2020. Careers360’s complete coverage of the education budget -- announcements, analysis and reactions -- is given below.

That apart, the week had education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ announcing the CBSE 2021 date sheet. Several state boards announced their own dates and still more states reopened schools, or announced they will.

These were the most significant developments in education this week.

College, school reopening in 2021

Early childhood care and education centres, or anganwadis, reopening in Punjab from February 1. The state government decided to reopen anganwadis as pre-primary schools open next month. However, one school closed after 14 students and three teachers tested positive for COVID-19.

Uttar Pradesh school reopening for Classes 6 to 8 will begin from February 10, the Uttar Pradesh government announced. Karnataka reopened schools for Class 9 and the first year of PUC (pre-university course or Class 11) from February 1. Telangana schools reopened for Classes 9 to 12 on the same day.

Delhi reopened schools for Classes 9, 11 on February 5. It had reopened schools for Classes 10 and 12 in January. Chief minister Arvind Kejirwal said that nursery admissions will begin soon as well. The Delhi government also announced 1,000 science scholarships for Class 9 students.

Uttarakhand will reopen schools for Classes 6-8 from February 8. The state government had reopened schools for Classes 11 and 12 in November but now they will open for all classes for the first time since the COVID-19 lockdown. Jammu reopened schools for staff on February 1 but students will physically attend from February 8. Odisha schools will reopen for Classes 9 and 11 on the same day.

Maharashtra colleges will reopen with 50% class-strength from February 15 but colleges and universities in West Bengal will continue to remain shut.

DU, JNU reopen

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) allowed fourth-semester students of MPhil and MTech to return to campus on February 1. Similarly, Delhi University (DU) reopened for staff and final-year students on February 1 but on very short notice.

CBSE 2021 date sheet

Education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ announced the complete schedule for the CBSE 2021 Class 10 and Class 12 exams. The Central Board of Secondary Education will hold the exams from May 4 to June 11. Practical exams will commence from March 1.

JEE Main 2021, CBSE dates clash

There is some overlap between the JEE Main 2021 phase-four schedule and the CBSE 2021 date sheet. The CBSE economics and biology exams are scheduled to be held during the period JEE Main 2021’s May round will be held.

Date-sheet of @cbseindia29 board exams of class Xll.
Wish you good luck!#CBSE pic.twitter.com/LSJAwYpc7j

— Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) February 2, 2021

State board exam dates

The Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education has issued the MPBSE 2021 date sheets. The MP Class 10 exams begin from April 30, 2021, and the Class 12 exams from May 1.

The Bihar Secondary Education Board started the Class 12 exams on February 1. The BSEB Class 12 exams began with physics, political science and Hindi.

The Himachal Pradesh Board of Secondary Education has revised the HPBOSE 2021 exam date sheets for Classes 5, 8, 10, and 12. The exams will be held over March and April.

Andhra Pradesh will hold its Class 10 board exams from June 7 and Class 12, AP intermediate exams, from May 5. The AP SSC time table 2021 was released on February 4; The Telangana SSC exam will have fewer questions this year.

In Chhattisgarh, an 11-year-old boy is set to write the Class 10 CGBSE exam.

Exams: GATE 2021, UGC-NET 2021, WBJEE

The Graduate Admission Test in Engineering (GATE 2021) was held on February 6, 7. Education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ announced that the UGC-National Eligibility Test will be held from May 2 to 17. The registration process for UGC-NET 2021 has begun.

The West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination exam date was announced; WBJEE 2021 will be held on July 11.

Union Budget 2021: Announcements, Analysis, Reactions

Union Budget 2021: Analysis

• Children receive lowest share of Union Budget in 10 years: Report

• Union Budget 2021: Higher education outlay drops by over Rs 1,000 crore

• Union Budget 2021: School education budget cut by close to Rs 5,000 crore

• Budget 2021: Over Rs 10,000 cr cut from SSA in 2020-21 revised budget

• Union Budget 2021: Centre’s education infra loan project gets just Rs 1 cr

• Union Budget 2021: Rs 35, 219 crore outlay for post-matric scholarships

• Union Budget 2021: Small increase in funds for central medical colleges

• Education budget ignores COVID-19, lacks roadmap for NEP 2020: Experts

Union Budget 2021: Speech

• Budget 2021: 15,000 schools to be strengthened for NEP 2020

• Budget 2021: HECI, ‘umbrella structure’ of institutions in 9 cities

Union Budget 2021: Reactions

• Centre is paving way for privatisation: Activists on Budget 2021

• Union Budget 2021: ‘Anything for students and youth of this country?’

• Budget 2021 a move to ‘destroy’ public education: Teachers’ body

Special Stories

• Over 13,000 TULIP internships posted, under 1,000 ongoing or completed

• 239 institutions to be eligible to offer online degrees: Government

• Some edtech companies are misleading customers: Education Ministry

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