'There is no reason to conduct two board examinations in a span of just 17 months as in the long run the Class 10 results play no role at all in pursuing higher studies after school,' he noted.

'If a child in a family sits for a board exam, it is not the child alone who suffers from stress but it is the entire family. This decision will lead to reduction of stress in the entire system and eventually in the students, who are a integral part of the system,' said Nagpal, who is also programme coordinator with Expressions India, a NGO.

He suggested that to ensure that children don't feel overburdened when they take a public exam for the first time in Class 12, there should be quality check right from Class 7 onwards.

'A quality check by an autonomous body other than the CBSE should be done to ensure that the needed quality standards both in teaching as well as in the infrastructure are matched,' he added.

Nagpal said schools should start preparing their students for the final Class 12 exam right from Class 7 without creating fear in their minds.

'The teachers should adopt a friendly approach towards the students,' he stressed.