The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has reduced the syllabus for classes 9 to 12 for the academic year 2020-21 by up to 30 per cent. Decision taken on account of the “extraordinary situation” in India and the world because of the coronavirus pandemic. The courses will be rationalised to lighten the load while retaining the core concepts. The announcement was made by Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' on July 7. CBSE said the worldwide health emergency, besides the efforts to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, had resulted in loss of classroom teaching. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had pitched for a 30 per cent reduction in the syllabus for all grades. Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16 when the central government announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as one of the measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. Most schools have since resorted to online classes to keep the syllabus on track in this crisis. Since June, the government has eased several restrictions but schools and colleges remain closed.