Odisha Matric students stage stir before Naveen Niwas demanding exam cancellation

Bhubaneswar: Tension ran high in front of the Naveen Niwas here today after a large number of Class 10 students staged a protest in front of it seeking clarity on conduct of Matric Examination amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hundreds of students from various Government-run high schools gathered and first met School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash at his residence here urging him to clear the confusion surrounding conduct of Matric Exam. Failing to get any clarity, the students later moved towards Naveen Niwas to put forth their demand before Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Unable to meet him, the agitating students later staged a dharna on road at Forest Park.

They demanded that like ICSE and CBSE,  Board of Secondary Education (BSE) cancel the Class 10 exam amidst the worsening COVID-19 situation in the state. The warned that they will stage an intensified protest at Master Canteen here in coming days if the Government does not take any decision in this regard in next two days.

Keeping in view the spike in positive cases, the state Government has postponed Class 10,  12 and all UG and PG  examinations in the state.