The Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE) has postponed two Class 12 examinations in West Garo Hills district following violence and tension in the area. The decision was taken after clashes broke out between tribal and non-tribal groups over the nomination process for local council elections.
According to officials, the Music and Anthropology papers of the Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate (HSSLC) examinations scheduled for March 11 and March 12 have been postponed only in West Garo Hills district.
T R Laloo, Director of Accreditation and Controller of Examinations of MBOSE, said the board decided to defer the examinations in the district because of the law and order situation. He said the Music examination scheduled for March 11 and the Anthropology examination scheduled for March 12 will be conducted later on dates that will be announced by the board.
He clarified that the postponement applies only to West Garo Hills. The HSSLC examinations in other districts of Meghalaya will continue according to the existing schedule.
More than 29,000 students are appearing for the Class 12 board examinations conducted by MBOSE this year across the state.
Officials said the decision was taken as a precautionary step to ensure the safety of students, teachers and examination staff. Curfew has been imposed in parts of West Garo Hills after incidents of violence were reported.
The tension began on March 10 during clashes between groups over the nomination process for the upcoming council elections. The situation quickly turned violent in some areas.
During the clashes, police opened fire to control the situation. At least two people were killed in the firing, officials said.
Following the violence, authorities imposed curfew in the affected areas to prevent further incidents and to restore normalcy. Security forces have also been deployed to maintain law and order in the district.