Prayagraj: The COVID-19 has cast a shadow on the entire education system in India, more so in Uttar Pradesh.
Only 215 schools across the state have applied for Uttar Pradesh Board affiliation this year. Last year, the number of affiliates was 2,020.
The UP board currently runs 28,000 government-run, government-aided and unaided schools across 75 districts. “Among the 173 schools that have applied for new affiliation this year, 82 have sought affiliation for high school while 91 wish to get affiliated for intermediate level. Another 42 schools already affiliated with the board for a stream or subjects have now applied for affiliation for a new stream or subject,” a senior UP Board official was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
“This year the online applications from institutions wishing to seek affiliation with the board were invited between April 1 and May 31, 2020. We have received the applications and have now begun the procedure,” UP Board secretary Divyakant Shukla was quoted as saying by the national daily.
The deadline for receiving applications last year was July 31. “The schools that have applied this year will be assessed and granted affiliation with effect from April 1, 2021 and the students enrolled in them would be able to appear in the UP Board’s high school and intermediate examinations from 2023 onwards,” other officials said.
According to the officials, the District inspectors of schools (DIOSs) would submit their report to the board by August 20 after an inspection visiting the schools as part of the affiliation granting process.