UP board class X, XII evaluation only in districts lying under green zone, says UP govt

LUCKNOW: Evaluation of UP board class X, XII answer scripts will only be done in 20 districts identified under the green zone from May 5 till May 25, while maintaining full distancing social norms. In fresh orders, principal secretary secondary education Aradhna Shukla stated that evaluation process is being deferred in other 55 districts that come under red and orange zones.Separate orders will be issued for these districts.
The decision comes following relentless protests by teachers who had even threatened to boycott evaluation. “There’s no point in carrying out evaluation in few districts. How will the results be declared with evaluation in 20 districts?” questioned RP Mishra, state secretary, UP Madhyamik Shikshak Sangh. He reiterated that the UP government like Madhya Pradesh and Haryana should consider sending answer copies to teachers’ home for timely evaluation and results.
As per Shukla’s May 4 order, the detailed guidelines issued by the Centre following extension of nationwide lockdown by two weeks till May 17 has led to the decision of deferring evaluation work in red and orange zones. MHA has classified districts, across the country, with no Covid-19 positive cases, or where no case has been reported in past 21 days as green zones. Red zones comprise of places with major outbreaks of the coronavirus while orange include places where new cases are emerging or showing a sign of decline.
According to officials, if a district is moved from green to orange, district inspector of schools (DIOS) should immediately inform the secondary education directorate. As per the order, 20 districts – Barabanki, Lakhimpur kheri, Hathras, Maharajganj, Shahjahanpur, Ambedkar nagar, Balia, Chandauli, Chitrakoot, Dewariya, Faruukhabad, Fatehpur, Hamirpur, Kanpur Dehat, Kushinagar, Lalitpur, Mahoba, Siddharthanagar, Sonbhadra and Amethi – come under green zone.
Around 56 lakh students appeared for the class X and XII exams held in February-March this year. As per earlier schedule, the evaluation was to end till March and results were to be announced in April last week. However, now results are expected to be declared in June last week. Close to 3.1 crore answer copies are to be evaluated