10th Exams: Lokesh Gains Popularity Among Students!

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s decision to conduct final examinations for Class X and Inter students amidst the second wave of Covid-19 has heated up the political atmosphere in the state.

TDP national general secretary and former minister Nara Lokesh demanded that the Andhra Pradesh government to reconsider its decision on conducting final examinations in the wake of the spiralling Covid-19 cases in the state.

He wrote a letter on the same to Jagan to think once again about the decision as it would put the lives of lakhs of students at risk with the second wave of Covid-19 crisis at its peak. He also pointed out that there was the threat of the students becoming super spreaders once they reach home after being infected at the exam centres. The student unions are planning to set a deadline to the government to cancel the examination. Else, the unions warned of launching an agitation.

Numbers explained

Lokesh wondered why was Jagan Reddy government was keen on holding the exams while even the central boards have cancelled and postponed their exams. He said such irresponsible and insensible decisions reinforce that Jagan Mohan Reddy is ‘Murkhapu Reddy’.

The Opposition leaders criticised Jagan Reddy’s government for this decision and Lokesh’s initiative of writing a letter demanding cancellation of examinations impressed the youth in the state. Lokesh’s tweets on cancellation of examinations gained instant support and likes from the students and parents on social media.

As part of his campaign on cancellation of examination, Lokesh held a digital town hall meeting wherein he spoke to students, parents and educationists. This connected him to the students and they voiced their concerns without any inhibitions. Lokesh said that he would submit all their requests and appeals on exams to the state government.

“As many as 15 lakh Class X and Inter students will have to write exams and if they reach their homes with the infection, roughly 75 lakh would get infected in their families each having a minimum of 5 members. This apart, teachers and other staff deployed to conduct the exam would also face the threat of contracting the virus which can push the number of infected to 80 lakh,’ he pointed out.

In the last couple of days, over 29 teachers died of Coronavirus taking the tally of teachers’ deaths in the state to 50 in the second wave, he said.

Mountain out of a molehill

Responding to these statements, education minister Adimulapu Suresh alleged that Lokesh was trying to gain political mileage by making it an issue. He said that the government would hold another review meeting at a later date and then take a final decision on going ahead as there was more time for the exams.

Class X exams are scheduled to begin on June 7, 2021 and Inter examination from May 6 in the state.

The minister criticised Lokesh for making a mountain out of a mole hill by raking up the issue and pushing the students and parents into more confusion. He wondered why Lokesh, who graduated from Stanford University, was not able to understand that the state government was trying to save an academic year by conducting the exams.

However, he said safety of the students would be of utmost importance to the government.