Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has announced that starting from the academic session 2025-26, students will have the option to take their 10th and 12th class board examinations twice a year.
This decision aligns with one of the key objectives of the new National Education Policy (NEP) introduced in 2020, which aims to alleviate academic stress among students. Pradhan made this statement on Monday while inaugurating the PM SHRI (Prime Minister Schools for Rising India) scheme in Chhattisgarh, which involves the upgrading of 211 schools in the state.
The event took place at the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay auditorium in Raipur. Emphasizing the significance of introducing 10 bag-less days in schools annually, the minister underscored the importance of engaging students in art, culture, sports, and other activities.
Regarding the implementation of the NEP 2020, Pradhan outlined the Centre's plan, stating that starting from the academic session 2025-26, students will have the option to take their 10th and 12th class board exams twice.
According to the New Curriculum Framework (NCF) announced by the Ministry of Education in August last year, board examinations will be held at least twice a year to ensure students have enough time and opportunity to perform well. They will also get the option to retain the best score.
Pradhan asked students present at the function if they were happy with the decision, and told them to keep the best marks obtained after appearing in both the exams.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji's vision through the NEP is to keep students stress-free, enrich them with quality education, keep students linked with culture and prepare them for the future. This is the formula for making India a developed country by 2047, he said.