The Education Ministry on Monday wrote to all centrally-funded educational institutions (CFTIs) asking them to postpone their offline examinations scheduled this month. The ministry cited the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic behind the request. Online tests, however, can continue.

Higher Education Secretary Amit Khare in his letter said that the decision on examinations will be reviewed again in the first week of June. “The institutions have been further advised to ensure that if anyone in the institution needs any assistance it should be provided immediate possible help so that he/she comes out of the distress at the earliest. All Institutions have to encourage eligible persons to go for vaccination and ensure that everyone follows Covid-19 appropriate behaviour to remain safe,” Khare wrote in his letter.

The centrally funded institutes include the Central Universities, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs).

The Union government has already postponed the Class 12 Board examination and scrapped the Class 10 examination conducted by the CBSE. This decision came after students, parents, and political leaders urged the government not to force students to sit for exams that could expose them to the virus.

Officials said that the UGC will come up with detailed guidelines about the conduct of examinations and the new academic calendar given that the second wave has disrupted teaching and academic life again.