Andhra Pradesh Class 11, 12 exams postponed amid surge in COVID-19 cases

The Andhra Pradesh Government has delayed the intermediate examinations indefinitely till further notice. The exams were slated to be held from 5 May.Earlier, the Andhra Pradesh High Court had urged the state government to reconsider its decision to hold exams. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in this matter was filed by the Telugu Desam Party leaders.More than 17 lakh students are expected to appear for the Class 11 and Class 12 exams, which now stand postponed due to the rising COVID-19 cases in the state.The new dates will be announced when the situation returns to normal. The state education minister Adimulapu Suresh has announced that the intermediate exams are essential for the future of the students and will be held when the time is safe. Students and parents have already been demanding that the state government should either cancel or postpone all the exams.Meanwhile, on 2 May, the state reported 23,920 new cases, the highest number of cases reported in a single day. The figures are double in comparison to the peak witnessed during the first wave of the pandemic last year. The same day, 83 patients lost their lives. So far, 8,136 people have succumbed to the infection.