Citing Covid-19 as the reason, India’s government on June 1 cancelled all annual school leaving exams for 12th graders, previously scheduled to take place in July and August. “After extensive consultations, we have taken a decision that is student-friendly, one that safeguards the health as well as future of our youth,” read a post on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official Twitter account.

The announcement, which affects high schools across the country, comes amid India’s devastating second wave of Covid-19, which has seen around 27 million infections and a chronic shortage of hospital beds, medicines and vaccines. The scale of the crisis has prompted criticism of the government both at home and abroad for its mishandling of the pandemic.

Soon after Tuesday’s announcement, the Twitter accounts of government-run state schools managed by a federal body, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), flooded the platform with videos of students thanking Modi for the cancellations, using the hashtag #ThankYouModiSir. Some of the posts were shared by the official accounts of the Ministry of Education and Education Minister Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank.

“After months of uncertainty our Prime Minister's decision has come in as a ray of hope for not just us students but also for the people associated with us,” said a student in one of the clips.