Karnataka: Nearly 21,000 Students Didn't Appear For First SSLC Exam

The number of absentees has increased by nearly six times that of last year. Last year there were 3,769 students who missed exams against this year's 20,994 students

Nearly 21,000 students missed SSLC exam in Karnataka. (Representative image)

New Delhi: Amid Covid fears and the hijab ban Karnataka SSLC exams have commenced on Monday. But, 20,994 students did not attend the first exam. The Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) said it doesn't have details for the reason behind so many students being absent from the exam.

The number of absentees has increased by nearly six times that of last year. Last year there were 3,769 students who missed exams against this year's 20,994 students.

"Last year there was all promotion policy. So, most of the students who registered had appeared for the exams. The exams also had Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ), where students were supposed to attempt the exam on an OMR sheet. However, the examination rules are back to pre-covid times and normal," said KSEEB Director Gopal Krishna HN, as quoted by Times of India.

The KSEEB director further said that the number of absentees in the pre-covid time were similar to the current year. 

While there were not many obstructions due to the ongoing hijab controversy, two cases were reported from Huballi and Bagalkote. However, it was expected that there would be absentees due to Covid fears, but no such cases were reported across the state as 336 students, who had a cold, cough and other symptoms, were arranged to write exams in special rooms, a report in Times of India said.

Every examination centres have reportedly maintained Covid protocols as they set up sanitisers and temperature checks. With a total of 8,69,399 having registered for the SSLC exams, 8,48,405 students have appeared on the first day of the exams.

Meanwhile, a teacher, who had an invigilation duty at Siddaganga High School in North Bengaluru, was dismissed from exam duty as she allegedly allowed hijab-clad students to appear for the exam.