The national lockdown has made it impossible to the governments to conduct examinations and also for students to come out of their homes. But, this is the time of the year when the year-end examinations are held for giving promotions to higher classes. All waited for a week or two to see if coronavirus threat will recede. Now, it has become clear the fight is going to be long-drawn. PM has also announced 21-day lockdown. Amid this, the Tamil Nadu government took a blanket decision to cancel all examinations from first to ninth classes.

CM Palani Swamy has announced that all these students would be deemed as having passed and they will be automatically promoted to higher classes. Indications are that the epidemic impact is likely to be there for another two months in some form or the other. This is going to have an effect on all colleges and educational institutions. Usually, graduate examinations are held in April or early May. All colleges are closed already and students left hostels. New schedules can be drawn to complete the academic year only after clarity emerges on outbreak in the coming weeks.