For students living in parts of north-east Delhi, fears of violence and curfews have exacerbated the stress of examination season.
The Central Board of Secondary Education postponed Class 10 and 12 Board examinations at 86 centres on Wednesday and Thursday.
However, many students worried about the uncertainty of later examinations. Those who live in violence-affected areas but have examination centres elsewhere were especially worried.
Swati*, a Class 12 student who lives near Karawal Nagar was worried about how to reach her exam centre near Karkardooma Court for Thursday’s English paper.
“I live inside the narrow lanes. Everything is calm here now because the whole neighbourhood was awake last night and guarding themselves. But I really do not think it will be safe to go for my exam because I have to pass through Bhajanpura to reach the exam centre which is the most affected area,” she told The Hindu on Wednesday morning.
Her worried family asked her to contact the CBSE and she called the number found on the board’s website.
“I do not know who picked up the phone. They just said, ‘You have to manage by any means’,” she said.
CBSE Secretary Anurag Tripathi later clarified that school principals could approach the board with proposals for relief for specific students.
However, Swati was still worried. “I do not think that my principal will go to request to CBSE for just one or two children,” she said.
Muhammad Iftikhar, a resident of Kanti Nagar extension, said his Class 10 brother had to brave riot-hit areas on his way to his exam centre in Preet Vihar on Wednesday, riding pillion on a scooty. “My family considered the possibility of him skipping the exam because of safety concerns, but in the end my elder brother showed some courage and dropped him off,” he said.
On Tuesday night, a man with an iron rod was caught in their locality, worsening their fears. “We handed that man over to the police, but we cannot trust the police department,” he said.
Class 12 student Pulkit Arora tweeted a video of police announcing a strict curfew in his Maujpur area and wondered how he would make it for Thursday’s examination in Vasundara Enclave.
“Many are saying leave the exam, but it’s not possible for us and our family...After Class 12, I am thinking of clearing the NEET exam,” said the medical aspirant.
Arvind, who lives in the Babarpur area adjoining curfew-hit Maujpur said that he was looking for ways to smuggle his Class 12 son out to a friend’s home on Wednesday, so that he could write his examinations without any difficulty.
Apart from travel issues, he noted that the unrest in the area has been very stressful. “He has been struggling to concentrate since Sunday when riots started,” he said.
On Twitter, several parents expressed concerns about mental stress and the impact of the violence on young students, asking CBSE to consider further postponement of the examinations.
*Name changed on request
