Bengaluru, December 22: The Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) or Class 10th exams, and the Pre-University Course (PUC) or Class 12th exams would not be held in Karnataka in March next year, announced State Education Minister S Suresh Kumar on Tuesday. The classes for Class 10 and 12 students would begin from January 1, 2021, he added.

"The Department of Education is making all the preparations for the reopening of schools and colleges ensuring that process is safe and sound. The SSLC and PUC exams will not take place in March 2021 due to the shortage of time," Kumar announced. CBSE Board Exams 2021 Dates Update: No Examinations in January or February, May be Held Later, Says Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal.

Update by ANI

This would be the second consecutive year when the schedule of SSLC exams would be derailed. Earlier this year, a portion of the Class 12th examination was deferred due to the onset of COVID-19 pandemic.

Schools across Karnataka have remained closed since March this year. With the health crisis subsiding, the state government has decided to reopen schools from Class 6 onwards from January 4. Adherence to COVID-19 safety norms, including masks, sanitisers and regular cleaning, is necessitated.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 22, 2020 10:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).