Panaji, Nov 22: Goa Forward Party chief and Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai suggested on Thursday that the ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar wanted to resign, but the BJP high command vetoed it.

"He wanted to give up the CM's post altogether. He had even shown inclination to give away his portfolios (to other ministers) when he was admitted to a hospital during Ganesh Chaturthi festival," Sardesai said here.

"But then several things happened. BJP high command stepped into it (to resign or not) is not in his (Parrikar's) hands entirely," Sardesai told reporters.

Parrikar, 62, has been recuperating at his residence here since he was discharged from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi on October 14. He is suffering from a pancreatic ailment.

Asked about independent MLA and Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte's remark that the administration has become sluggish in Parrikar's absence, Sardesai said, "I have always been saying that CM's ill-health has had some sort of impact, and it is showing."

To a question on another alliance partner Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) filing a petition against two former Congress MLAs who joined the BJP, the minister said it was surprising.

MGP has moved the Goa Bench of Bombay High Court, seeking to disqualify Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte, former Congress MLAs who recently joined the BJP.

"It is a matter between two constituents of the alliance -- BJP and MGP. So we are not concerned with it," Sardesai said.

"As far as MGP is concerned, its decision to go to the court is surprising....I can believe it is a preemptive move, they (MGP) have not lost anything, Congress has lost two MLAs," Sardesai said in a cryptic remark.

Speculation was rife earlier that MGP MLAs might join the BJP which does not have a majority on its own in Goa Assembly.

BJP spokespersons were not available for comment on Sardesai's remarks.

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New Delhi (PTI): The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced a detailed assessment scheme for Class 10 exams in the Middle East region which were cancelled amid escalating West Asia conflict, according to officials.

The exams were cancelled following a critical review of the prevailing situation across Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

According to CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj, examinations scheduled from February 17 to 28 were conducted successfully. During this period, six academic subjects, including Mathematics, English and Science, were completed. Additionally, 16 language papers and 22 skill subject examinations were also conducted.

The board has divided candidates into five categories -- students who appeared in all examinations, students who appeared in four examinations, students who appeared in three examinations, students who appeared in two examinations and private students registered under the compartment category.

"The results of students who appeared for all exams will be declared based on their performance in the examinations. The result of students who appeared in four subjects will be declared based on the average of the marks obtained in the best three performing subjects for the subjects whose examinations have not been conducted," Bhardwaj said.

"The result of students who appeared in three subjects will be declared based on the average of the marks obtained in the best two performing subjects for the subjects whose examinations have not been conducted," he added.

The examination controller explained that very few students have appeared in the examinations in only two subjects.

"Their results will be declared based on the average of the marks of two subjects in the remaining subject," he said.

The results of Middle East students will be declared along with the rest of the students. Students will be allowed to improve their performance through the second board examinations according to policy.