NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, AUG 26
Over four lakh admit cards for medical entrance exam NEET were downloaded within three hours on Wednesday, sources said.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) released the admit cards for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) at noon on Wednesday.
“Admit cards of NEET were available for download at noon today. Over 4 lakh candidates have downloaded in first 3 hours,” sources said.
While the NEET is planned on September 13, engineering entrance exam JEE Main is scheduled from September 1-6. Around 9.53 lakh candidates have registered for JEE-Mains and 15.97 lakh students have registered for NEET.
Amid the rising clamour for postponement of the crucial exams in view of rising COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Education (MoE) officials had reiterated on Tuesday that the exams will be conducted as per schedule in September.
Increasing the number of examination centres, alternate seating plan, fewer candidates per room and staggered entry and exit are among the steps the NTA will take for safely conducting NEET and JEE next month.
“The number of examination centres have also been increased from 570 to 660 (for JEE Main) and 2,546 to 3,843 (for NEET). While JEE-Mains is a computer-based test, NEET is a pen-paper test,” the NTA said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Additionally, in case of JEE-Mains, the number of shifts have been increased from the earlier 8 to 12, and the number of candidates per shift has been reduced from earlier 1.32 lakh to 85,000 now,” it said.
“In order to ensure proper social distancing inside the examination halls, the candidates will be seated in alternate seats in case of JEE-Mains. In the case of NEET, the number of candidates per room has been reduced from 24 to 12,” it added.
For ensuring social distancing outside the examination hall, the entry and exit of candidates have been staggered.
“Adequate arrangements have also been made outside the examination centres to enable candidates to stand with adequate social distancing while waiting. Candidates have also been issued an advisory guiding them about the ‘Dos and Don’ts’ for proper social distancing,” the NTA said.
There have been demands from several quarters to further postpone the entrance exams in view of increasing coronavirus cases.
On Tuesday, Swedish teen climate change campaigner Greta Thunberg also threw her weight behind postponing the exams in view of the pandemic.
“It’s deeply unfair that students of India are asked to sit national exams during the COVID-19 pandemic and while millions have also been impacted by the extreme floods. I stand with their call to #PostponeJEE_NEETinCOVID,” she said in a tweet.
Several opposition leaders in India, including Congress’ Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik, DMK president MK Stalin and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia have demanded the exams be postponed.
The Supreme Court had last week dismissed a plea seeking postponement of the two exams amid a spurt in the number of COVID-19 cases, saying the precious year of students “cannot be wasted” and life has to go on.
“We find that there is absolutely no justification in the prayer made for postponement of the examination in question relating to NEET as well as JEE-Mains,” the Supreme Court had said.
The NTA has also written to state governments to extend support in local movement of the candidates so that they are able to reach their examination centres on time.
Further delay in conducting JEE, NEET can have serious repercussions: IIT Delhi director
Any further delay in conducting entrance exams JEE and NEET will have “serious repercussions” on not only the academic calendar but also the career of bright students, IIT Delhi Director V Ramgopal Rao said.
Rao’s comments come in the wake of growing clamour for postponing the two crucial exams in the wake of rise in COVID-19 cases.
“The consequences of postponing these exams any further can have serious repercussions on IIT academic calendars and for candidates. I fail to see how we can run two batches together. It will become a zero academic year for lakhs of students. Our academic calendars are too packed already and linked to too many other things. The delays can impact the careers of so many bright students.
“We have already lost six months. If we conduct the exams in September, we can at least start the sessions in the Indian Institutes of Technology (could be online) in December. Tinkering with the examination pattern or admission processes in these times will also be detrimental and unfair for everyone,” Rao said in a social media post.
He said coronavirus is not going to go away for at least a year and we cannot be perpetually in lockdown mode, and appealed to the students to “trust the institutions” and take the entrance tests while strictly following the COVID-19 safety guidelines.
“COVID is not going to go away for another six months to one year. We all need to get used to this new normal. The earlier we realise that, the better it is for all of us. The last postponement of exams definitely helped us prepare well now.
“I feel sad for those serious students preparing for these examinations. I did receive a large number of emails from them. As if COVID-19 is not enough, this uncertainty about exam dates is further adding to the stress levels of students. Personally, I am for conducting these examinations by taking all precautions and following social distancing norms. Lockdown is not a solution to COVID. Lockdown was needed to prepare ourselves better,” he said.
The IIT director also noted that the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) is now conducted multiple times a year.
“Incase some students cannot write the JEE Main this time, they can take the exam after six months again. I don’t see any reason for concern. As the JEE Advanced organising institute, I assure everyone that IITs will do their best and put their best foot forward in organising the JEE Advanced examination,” he said.
Rao said they will also be closely monitoring the situation and take necessary steps as required.
“Health of candidates is of utmost concern to all of us. We all have children and we can connect with the parents of candidates,” he said.
