BENGALURU: The Karnataka State Examination and Assessment Board‘s decision to conduct the SSLC preparatory exams in the afternoon on Friday, March 1, has snowballed into a controversy, with opposition BJP alleging that the Friday exam schedule has been made only to appease the minority community, though governing Congress reasoned that the decision was meant to avoid a clash in the itinerary.
According to the fixtures for SSLC preparatory exams, starting on February 26, all exams are scheduled between 10.15am and 1.30pm, except the Science paper on Friday that will be conducted between 2pm and 5.15pm. Calling chief minister Siddaramaiah the ‘patriarch of appeasement politics’, the BJP on its X handle accused him of using appeasement politics even in exam schedules. “The exams on Friday will begin after 2pm, while on all other days they will begin at 10am. The Congress, which is appeasing one community, has now reduced Hindu students to second class [citizens],” the post on X stated. “It is certain that the people of Karnataka will hit the last nail on your appeasement, which is entering education sector too,” (sic) the social media post added.
Weighing in on the controversy, BJP legislator Basangouda R Patil (Yatnal) said: “There is no holiday for the consecration of Lord Rama in Ayodhya, Sri Rama Navami, Naga Panchami, but when it comes to one community’s interests, even SSLC exam timings are set for the afternoon on Friday?”
However, the Congress has rubbished these allegations.
Minister for school education and literacy Madhu Bangarappa clarified that the SSLC preparatory exam on Friday has been set for the afternoon as the II pre-university exam is also starting on the same day. “It will be a clash in terms of logistics. Since II PU is the more important exam than the preparatory SSLC, it is being held first. BJP has no better business than creating some talk around this,” the minister added.
Later in the day, a statement from the Congress party said: “As the PUC exam is starting on March 1, the SSLC exam is being held in the afternoon the same day. The move is to avoid confusion and owing to a shortage of examination centres.”
The statement added: “Those who say that SSLC exam has been arranged in the afternoon on Friday to allow students to perform ‘namaz’ should answer how students who are writing the PUC exam will do so on the same day.”
According to the fixtures for SSLC preparatory exams, starting on February 26, all exams are scheduled between 10.15am and 1.30pm, except the Science paper on Friday that will be conducted between 2pm and 5.15pm. Calling chief minister Siddaramaiah the ‘patriarch of appeasement politics’, the BJP on its X handle accused him of using appeasement politics even in exam schedules. “The exams on Friday will begin after 2pm, while on all other days they will begin at 10am. The Congress, which is appeasing one community, has now reduced Hindu students to second class [citizens],” the post on X stated. “It is certain that the people of Karnataka will hit the last nail on your appeasement, which is entering education sector too,” (sic) the social media post added.
Weighing in on the controversy, BJP legislator Basangouda R Patil (Yatnal) said: “There is no holiday for the consecration of Lord Rama in Ayodhya, Sri Rama Navami, Naga Panchami, but when it comes to one community’s interests, even SSLC exam timings are set for the afternoon on Friday?”
However, the Congress has rubbished these allegations.
Minister for school education and literacy Madhu Bangarappa clarified that the SSLC preparatory exam on Friday has been set for the afternoon as the II pre-university exam is also starting on the same day. “It will be a clash in terms of logistics. Since II PU is the more important exam than the preparatory SSLC, it is being held first. BJP has no better business than creating some talk around this,” the minister added.
Later in the day, a statement from the Congress party said: “As the PUC exam is starting on March 1, the SSLC exam is being held in the afternoon the same day. The move is to avoid confusion and owing to a shortage of examination centres.”
The statement added: “Those who say that SSLC exam has been arranged in the afternoon on Friday to allow students to perform ‘namaz’ should answer how students who are writing the PUC exam will do so on the same day.”