A day after Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik called for the postponement of NEET, JEE, the Odisha government on Wednesday announced that school syllabus up to class 12 will be reduced by 30 per cent for the current academic session. The decision was taken as schools are closed across the state due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash.

The announcement was made based on the recommendation of three committees set up for the purpose, he said. The new syllabus will be available on the official websites of the Board of Secondary Education (BSE), Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE) and State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).

Block Education Officers and District Education Officers will inform the schools about the governments decision, Dash said. Chapters that will help students succeed in national-level tests have been retained, he said. On reopening of schools, the minister said that the matter will be considered once the Centre issues a direction in this regard.