The Maharashtra state government has cancelled the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination for 2021. This was decided in a cabinet meeting on Tuesday in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state. School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad declared that the students are to be promoted based on an alternative assessment method; details of which will be declared soon. The decision comes as a major relief for lakhs of students and their parents from across Maharashtra.

During last year’s board exam, the outbreak of the pandemic had led to the cancellation of the last paper of Geography for which students were scored based on a specifically designed formula. Now with the cancellation of the entire exam, all eyes are on what method will be adopted to ensure fair scoring.