LS polls after April 10? CBSE says exams to conclude by then

PRAYAGRAJ: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced that the Board will conduct examinations of classes 10 and 12 of the academic year 2023-24 from February 15, 2024 onwards and conclude them likely by April 10, 2024.
This suggests that the general elections slated to be held early next year may have to be held after April 10 to avoid coinciding with the exam schedule.
The examinations will be conducted for a period of approximately 55 days.
Interestingly, this is for the first time that CBSE has announced the dates of Board exams so early. A letter dated July 13, signed by controller of examination at CBSE, Sanyam Bharadwaj, mentions: “All the organisations holding any examinations are requested to fix the dates of their examinations keeping in view the above said schedule of Board examinations.”
However, given the fact that the last two general elections — 2014 and 2019 — were conducted after the conclusion of school exams, it seems likely that the next year’s general elections will be conducted after April 10.
'Letter issued by CBSE in larger interest of student fraternity'
Going by the dates of the last two general elections and comparing the same with the exam schedule of CBSE Board classes, the picture becomes clearer.
In 2014, the CBSE Board exams of class 10 and 12 started on March 1. While the exam of class 10 ended on March 19, that of class 12 ended on April 17. The 2014 general elections started on April 7 and concluded on May 12.
Again in 2019, the Board exams were held from February 15. Class 10 exams ended on March 29 while that for class 12 ended on April 3. The Lok Sabha elections were held in 2019 between April 11 and May 23.
According to school authorities affiliated with CBSE, this is for the first time that CBSE has issued such a letter, detailing the dates of Board exams so early as in previous years the same was disclosed around December.
"Going by previous years, authorities of schools affiliated to CBSE Board do have an idea of the dates of the practical exams and prepare beforehand. But, getting this letter so early would be good for the students as well as the organisations conducting competitive and entrance exams, especially for class 12 students, as the dates will not clash with Board exams," explains principal of Kendriya Vidyalaya Manauri, Shalini Dikshit.
A senior official at the CBSE office in Prayagraj said, "The letter has been issued by the Board in the larger interest of the student fraternity as now other organisations would know in advance the dates within which the Board exams will be conducted. They could adjust the entrance test or other admission processes accordingly."