chennai ruling out declaring 202021 a zero academic year due to covid19 school education minister k a sengottaiyan on monday said board exams for classes x xi and xii will be conducted for the academic yeara zero academic year is one during which no academic activities are conducted including exams and classes some reports said the state government is considering declaring a complete holiday for this academic year in view of pandemicspeaking to reporters sengottaiyan said the government will release the schedule for board exams soonunion education minister ramesh pokhriyal nishank had said that the schedule for cbse class x and xii board exams would be announced on december 31 the state government will decide on the schedule considering the cbse exam dates since the dates of national eligibilitycumentrance test neet 2021 and joint entrance examination jee 2021 will be decided based on these dates the minister saidwhen asked about the reopening of schools sengottaiyan said some states have had to shut down schools after reopening following the rise in covid19 cases among students the state will take a decision considering all these aspects he saidon the issue of showing tamil poetphilosopher thiruvalluvar in a saffron attire the minister said the school education department will seek an explanation from the official and initiate departmental action against him