ICSE, ISC exams to begin on 27 Feb to avoid a clash with the all India Industrial Strike

KOLKATA, 21 DEC: The Council for The Indian School Certificate Examinations has decided to begin ICSE and ISC examinations from 27 February 2012 to avoid a clash with the all India Industrial Strike. It was earlier scheduled to begin on 28 February. However, the Madhyamik students of the state are still in dark as the state government is yet to take a final call in this regard.
Both the ICSE and ISC exams were tentatively scheduled to begin from 28 February, 2012. For the Madhyamik students, history paper is scheduled for that day.
Around 11 national trade unions affiliated to almost all national political parties with the support of the Left from the state have called a strike on that very day protesting against the industrial policy of the Centre. Since the trade unions expressed their rigidity to alter the date of the strike, it was left with the examination authorities to take the final call.
The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations declared today that in view of the proposed all India Industrial Strike, the ICSE and ISC examination, scheduled to commence from 28 February will now begin from 27 February. Mr Gerry Arathoon, additional secretary and officiating chief executive and secretary of the Council, said: “No examination will be held on 28 February in the interest of the examinees.”
With this declaration on Wednesday, around 3.5 lakh students all over the country can heave a sigh of relief, but their counterparts in the state are still groping with uncertainty. On 28 February 2012 around 10 lakh Madhyamik examinees will have to appear for their history paper coping with the inconvenience of a nationwide trade union strike.
Chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee as well as state education minister Mr Bratya Basu have already expressed their unwillingness to change the examination date. According to the state, the time table of Madhyamik examination had been declared on 27 May 2011, almost a year ago. So, the trade unions will have to reconsider the date.
However, Mr Gurudas Dasgupta, veteran trade union leader, had requested Miss Banerjee to change the date of the examination. The final decision lies in the hands of the CM. But, the state is not in favour of a change in the exam dates, said state education minister, Mr Bratya Basu today.
Meanwhile, the power minister, Mr Manish Gupta, today assured that there would not be any power shortage during the forthcoming board examinations as well as the summer as the government plans to undertake some projects to arrest power deficit. 

-statesman news service