Despite reports that Education and Health departments weren't on the same page about holding class 10 board exams for students, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said Tuesday that the decision was reached after extensive discussions and was not unilateral.S Suresh Kumar, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, announced Monday that the SSLC board exams would be held on July 19-22 amid concerns about the third wave of COVID-19.After having had preliminary discussions with me, Education Minister Suresh Kumar has made the decision to fix the dates for the SSLC exams. After extensive discussions, this decision was made in the best interests of students and is not unilateral. Yediyurappa tweeted that it was unnecessary to create confusion.Following the CM's tweet last night, K Sudhakar, the Health Minister, stated that he wasn't aware of the decision to hold an exam. He also said that the Education Minister had spoken with experts before making the call. Yediyurappa was also made aware."He (Kumar), told me last night that he had spoken with the CM about the decision (about exams)." I didn't know of it because I was at another meeting. He informed me in the evening. He said that he believed the discussions had also been held with the Technical Advisory Committee, or TAC.COVID-19 Vaccine Commonly Asked Questions View More How does a vaccine function? The vaccine mimics a natural infection. A vaccine induces an immune response that protects people against future COVID-19 infections. It also builds herd immunity quickly to end the pandemic. A vaccine induces immunity in a sufficient number of people to prevent the spread of a disease from person-to-person. Good news is that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was relatively stable which makes it more likely that a vaccine will be developed. There are many vaccines. There are four main types of vaccines. One is a vaccine that is based on the entire virus. Two is a vaccine that is based on a virus vector. Three are nucleic-acid vaccines with genetic material such as DNA and RNA of the antigens. Four are protein subunit vaccines. These vaccines contain the recombinant SARS-COV-2 proteins along an adjuvant (booster). How long does it take for a vaccine to be developed? The process of developing a vaccine is complex and long. Vaccines are not given to patients with a specific disease, but are administered to healthy people as well as to vulnerable groups such children and pregnant women. It is mandatory to undergo rigorous testing. Although five years is the fastest time to develop a vaccine, it often takes twice as long or more. See moreSudhakar, hours after Monday's announcement of the exam timetable, stated that his department had not been informed of the decision. This led to reports about a lack of coordination between the government and the SSLC.Kumar, however, stated that the decision to hold exams was made after many rounds of discussion. Also, talks were held about the steps that should be taken with officials from the Health Department, who have provided SOPs that must be followed.The government was criticised for not having a coordinated response to the pandemic in the initial weeks of Covid. Sudhakar and Sriramulu, then the Health Minister, were seen "competing" to be at the forefront, creating confusion sometimes.The Chief Minister then took Sriramulu's Health and Family Welfare portfolio and gave it to Sudhakar. Sudhakar was the only person holding the Medical Education portfolio at the time. It was intended that one minister would handle the relevant portfolios during the pandemic.
