The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has made Class X Board Examination optional in order to promote holistic development of students and lessen exam related stress.

Why such a move by CBSE?
This move by the board is due to the increase in the number of Indian schools adopting international curriculum through recognitions from foreign boards.
The international curriculum is a move in the direction of enabling the Indian students to meet the global requirements of learning. It is expected that such a curriculum will help the students who wish to go for undergraduate courses in foreign universities. This is supposed to be a pilot programme which will be extended to schools across the country after the feedback is obtained from these schools.

Schools with foreign affiliation has increased in India
In India, the numbers of schools which are affiliated to foreign boards have increased over the years. The foreign boards include International Baccalaureate and the Cambridge International Examinations. In India there are 64 schools which are affiliated to International Baccalaureate and about 200 schools which are affiliated to Cambridge system.
During the 1990s the number of schools following international curriculum in India were much less and numbered about less than 50. Now it has increased more than fivefold. Studying in such schools following international curriculum is very expensive. In such schools, the fee ranges from Rs 12 lakhs to Rs 20 lakhs per annum. Whereas in the case of CBSE schools that offer international curriculum, the fees will much lower as compared to the schools following foreign curriculum.

Also Read:
http://www.gktoday.in/gk/cambridge-international-a-level/

Parliament passed a Bill that will make children with disabilities eligible for free and compulsory education under the RTE (Right to Education) Act in all schools. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, passed by the Rajya Sabha on April 24, 2012 also exempts Madarsas and Vedic Pathshalas, which impart religious teachings, from the RTE Act.

Government is to set up Swami Vivekananda Chair in Indian Studies at the University of Chicago, USA. For this the Indian government has entered into an agreement with the University of Chicago for establishing the Chair.

Objective: To create awareness of Indian culture in the USA. The Indian Government will furnish US $15,00,000 to the University of Chicago by July, 2012.

2011 saw a 20% rise in the number of schools entering students for Cambridge qualifications in India. In India, Schools made over 27,000 entries for Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge International ‘A’ Level.

Regions with highest growth of take up of Cambridge IGCSE:

• Madhya Pradesh (247%)
• Rajasthan (145%)
• Punjab (112%)

Regions with highest growth of take up of Cambridge International ‘A’ Level:

• Gujarat (50%)
• Kerala (30%)
• Karnataka (24%)

There are now more than 290 Cambridge schools in India and more than 9,000 schools in 160 countries make up the Cambridge learning community worldwide. The core subjects which remain most popular among Indian students at Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge International ‘A’ Level are Maths, Physics and Chemistry.

Cambridge IGCSE: One of the world’s most popular international qualifications for students b/w the age of 14-16 years.

Cambridge International ‘A’ Level: Typically for learners aged b/w 16-19 years who need advanced study to prepare for university and higher education.

Cambridge: A not-for-profit organisation, and part of the University of Cambridge.

The National Eligibility Test, NET, will be completely objective type from June 2012. The test conducted by University Grants Commission, UGC, will consist of 3 papers. As per the new examination pattern, there will be no negative marking.
The National Educational Testing Bureau of the UGC conducts NET to determine eligibility for lectureship and award of Junior Research Fellowship, JRF, to ensure minimum standards for entrants in teaching and research.