CBSE grants diabetic students essentials inside exam hall

NT Correspondent 

Bengaluru: On February 4, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) issued a circular addressing concerns related to Type 1 diabetes.

The circular allows students dealing with Type 1 diabetes to bring essential items like insulin pumps and glucometers into the examination hall.

The circular emphasised CBSE's commitment as a leading National Board to address the challenges faced by students with Type 1 diabetes during Board Examinations, and various facilities have been extended to mitigate medical issues during exams.

The official notice from CBSE outlines the permitted items for diabetic students in the exam room, enclosed in a transparent pouch box.

These include sugar tablets, chocolate, candy, fruits like bananas, apples, oranges, snack items such as sandwiches and high-protein diets, prescribed medicines, a 500 ml water bottle, a glucometer, glucose testing strips, Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) machine, Flash Glucose Monitoring (FGM) machine, and insulin pumps.

Previously, in response to public outcry, CBSE reversed its decision to prohibit a Class 10 student with Type 1 diabetes from bringing necessary items, including an insulin pump and carbohydrate snacks, into the exam hall.

The initial rejection, criticised for violating child rights guidelines, was overturned.

The revised decision, conveyed in a letter dated January 12, grants permission for the student to use necessary items during the upcoming board exams, acknowledging the need for emergency snacks, an insulin pump, and a freestyle libre CGM sensor.

The CBSE's reconsideration aligns with guidelines urging accommodations for Type 1 diabetes children during exams.