E-Paper
JEE (Main) expands to 24 nations, centres soon in China, Australia
There will also be overseas testing centres in Bahrain, Sri Lanka, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Nepal, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nigeria, Hong Kong and Thailand
The National Testing Agency has expanded the Joint Entrance Examination Main, India’s largest entrance test to undergraduate engineering programmes, to as many as 24 countries, with examination centres to be set up in China, Vietnam, Australia and South Africa, among others, for the first time in 2023, officials said on Saturday.
Applications are open for the first phase of JEE Main and the test will be conducted between January 24 and 31, except Republic Day on January 26. The second phase will be held between April 6 and 12.
The testing agency this year expanded beyond the Middle East and south-west Asia to set up centres in 19 countries, including the US, Canada, Russia, Indonesia and Mauritius. “In 2023, the number of countries increased to 24 and for the first time, there will be centres in China, Brazil, Australia, Austria, Brazil, South Africa, and Vietnam as well,” an official said, requesting anonymity.
There will also be overseas testing centres in Bahrain, Sri Lanka, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Nepal, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nigeria, Hong Kong and Thailand.
The agency will coordinate with Indian embassies in these countries to set up the centres. “The overseas centres are set up after receiving requests from the Indian diaspora, and the NTA is constantly receiving requests from different countries to set up centres of competitive exams like JEE (Main) and NEET,” the official said. NEET, or the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, is for admission to medical courses.
The JEE (Main) is conducted for admission to undergraduate engineering programmes at the National Institutes of Technology, Indian Institutes of Information Technology, other centrally funded technical institutions and institutions and universities funded or recognized by state governments. It is also an eligibility test for JEE Advanced for admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology.
The NTA has also restored the eligibility criteria to 75% in class 12 board examinations for admission through the Central Seat Allocation Board. In 2020, candidates were given relaxation in view of the learning loss caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and only passing marks in class 12 were required. For candidates from the scheduled caste and tribe communities, the qualifying percentage will be 65%.
