Union Education Minister Announces Biannual Board Exams; Launches PM SHRI Scheme in Chhattisgarh

Beginning with the academic year 2025–2026, students will get the opportunity to sit for the 10th and 12th class board exams twice a year, according to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Reducing students' academic stress is one of the goals of the 2020 National Education Policy (NEP), according to Pradhan, who made this announcement on Monday when inaugurating the PM SHRI (Prime Minister Schools for Rising India) program in Chhattisgarh, which will see 211 state schools refurbished.


The event took place in Raipur's Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Auditorium.

Emphasizing the idea of instituting ten days without bags in schools annually, the minister emphasized the need of involving pupils in sports, art, and culture, among other pursuits.

Regarding the Center's NEP 2020 plan, Pradhan said that starting with the 2025–2026 school year, pupils would have the chance to take the board exams twice for classes 10 and 12.

In August of last year, the Ministry of Education unveiled the New Curriculum Framework (NCF), which states that board exams would take place at least twice a year to provide students the time and chance to do well. Additionally, they will have the choice to keep their top score.

After asking the students in attendance whether they were satisfied with the outcome, Pradhan instructed them to retain their top scores from taking the two examinations.

"The goal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji's NEP is to keep kids stress-free, provide them with a high-quality education, connect them to culture, and help them be ready for the future. This is the plan to turn India into a developed nation by 2047," he said.

Education was not the state's top concern during the previous Congress administration, according to Pradhan. However, after the BJP took power and new Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai took office in December of last year, the important sector has gained the highest significance.

According to the Union minister, 211 schools in Chhattisgarh—193 elementary and 18 secondary—will be refurbished under the PM SHRI scheme's first phase, with each one costing Rs 2 crore.

The 'hub', or mentor institution, will be centrally located and tasked with leading the mentee institution via the'spoke', or subsidiary branches, by offering the mentee self-improvement services.

In the scheme's next phase, Pradhan said, additional secondary and upper secondary schools would be included, in response to a request made by Brijmohan Agrawal, the Minister of School and upper Education for Chhattisgarh.

He said that India would submit a proposal to host the Olympic Games in 2036 and predicted that athletes from Chhattisgarh will account for 10% of the nation's medal total in the quadrennial competition. He also suggested that the country begin making plans for the Games this year.

Senior authorities, including Minister Agrawal and Chief Minister Sai, were present during the occasion.

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