Maharashtra School Education Minister Varsha Eknath Gaikwad on Tuesday has tested positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms. The minister was infected with the virus last year as well. She had been attending the ongoing winter session of the state Legislature. Today was the last day of the five-day winter session held in Mumbai instead of Nagpur due to the rise in COVID 19 and Omicron Variant cases.
On Monday, the Tribal Development Minister KC Padvi and BJP legislator Sameer Meghe were among 50 plus people visiting the state legislature who tested COVID 19 positive.
Gaikwad last week had told the state council that students appearing for standard 10 and 12 board exams will now be able to submit their exam forms till one day prior to written exams without payment of any late fee. ‘’A complete exemption of late fees has been given. No one should miss out due to technical difficulties,’’ she said in her reply to the calling attention notice in the state legislative council when deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe was on chair.
‘’Without paying any extra fees, students of std 12th will be able to submit exam form till March 3, and Std 10th till March 14,’’ she said. She added that so far 14,31, 667 HSC students and 15,56,861 SSC students have enrolled for the exams.
