Pawan Kalyan, the President of the JanaSena Party, on the 20th of April, criticised the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) over the decision to conduct Class X examinations. He lashed out at the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy led YSRCP Government for risking the lives of students amid the rising number of the Novel Coronavirus or COVID-19 cases.
Pawan Kalyan said, “Already students and teachers in many schools and welfare homes in the state are affected by the corona and many junior colleges, private coaching centers and those in their hostels are suffering from the virus; with thousands of cases being registered on a regular basis due to the corona second wave, it is not understandable that the Andhra Pradesh Government has announced that it will conduct Class 10 and Intermediate examinations as per its schedule (sic.)’
Mr. Pawan Kalyan’s statement came days after the State Education Minister said, the State has no plans to cancel the examinations. On the 14th of April, the Andhra Pradesh Government announced to conduct the 10th and 12th boards exam of Andhra Pradesh Board. The Andhra Pradesh Education Minister Adimulapu Suresh announced the same and said the boards and Intermediate exams would be held as per the schedule. His decision pertaining to 10th and 12th examination amid the Novel Coronavirus or COVID-19 came hours after the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced to cancel class 10th boards exams,
Citing an example of recently the cancelled examinations of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE,) Pawan Kalyan demanded the Andhra Pradesh (A.P.) Government to immediately cancel the Class 10 and Intermediate examinations.
He said while the people are in a state of panic due to the health crisis caused by the severity of the Novel Coronavirus. He said there is a high risk that the virus would spread further through students who would sit for the exams. He asserted that there are 6.4 lakh students for Class X and 10.5 lakh students for Intermediate and opined that the Government is risking 16.5 million people who could get COVID-19 infection.
Pawan Kalyan is currently at hospital in Hyderabad after testing positive for the Novel Coronavirus.
