Report by Tanya Singh:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday said that the state government has decided to promote the students of classes 9, 10, and 11 to the next class without any examinations. The decision was made based on the inputs from medical experts who suggested the situation is not conducive to conduct the SSLC and plus one exam, the Tamil Nadu CM has said.
It comes as a surprise that this year too, the government has decided to do away with exams despite starting classes for tenth and twelfth on January 19. The TN govt has been ensuring that proper protocols have been getting followed in schools and the students have been getting immunity tablets too. The teachers and students have been expecting for the remaining classes to start soon, but with exams being cancelled, they are unsure of what to expect next. The CM also announced that the retirement age of the government employees will be increased from the existing 59 years to 60 years. Speaking at the State Assembly, Palaniswami made a suo motu statement under Rule 110.
The retirement age will apply to all employees who are retiring from service on May 31, 2021. Besides, the order would also apply to all teaching and non-teaching staff working in aided educational institutions and employees of all Constitutional or Statutory bodies, public sector undertakings including all State Corporations, local bodies, boards, commissions, societies etc. The government had, in May last year, increased the retirement age from 58 to 59. The government had reopened schools for students in Class 10 and 12 in January and recently announced the timetable for the public exams too.