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More exam centres for safe conduct of NEET, JEE: Govt
Increasing the number of examination centres, an alternate seating plan, fewer candidates per room and staggered entry and exit feature among the steps the National
Increasing the number of examination centres, an alternate seating plan, fewer candidates per room and staggered entry and exit feature among the steps the National Testing Agency (NTA) will take for the safe conduct of medical and engineering entrance exams — NEET and JEE – in September.
Over 950,000 students will sit for the Joint Entrance Examination (Main), or JEE, across 660 centres from September 1 to 6, the premier testing agency said on Tuesday. In January 2019, over a million candidates took the test for admission to top engineering schools across 570 centres.
According to data released by NTA, a government agency, nearly 1.6 million candidates of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) will take the entrance exam for admission to medical and dental courses in 3,842 test centres on September 13 — up from the 2,546 centres that were set up for 1.52 million students in 2019.
“Additionally, in case of JEE-Mains, the number of shifts has been increased from the earlier 8 to 12, and the number of candidates per shift has been reduced from earlier 1.32 lakh (132,000) to 85,000 now,” an NTA statement said. “While JEE-Mains is a computer-based test, NEET is a pen-paper test,” it added.
The steps were introduced to ensure adherence to social distancing norms at the centres in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. A chorus to postpone the exams in view of the coronavirus disease outbreak is growing with several politicians joining a large section of students in making such a demand.
“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 case of NEET, the number of candidates per room has been reduced from 24 to 12,” the statement said.
For ensuring social distancing outside the examination hall, the entry and exit of candidates has been staggered, it added.
“Adequate arrangements have also been made outside the examination centres to enable candidates stand with adequate social distancing, while waiting. Candidates have also been issued advisory guiding them about ‘Dos and Don’ts’ for proper social distancing,” the statement said.
The agency said the exams were being held in view of the “academic interests” of the students, citing that the Supreme Court had rejected a plea seeking postponement of the two entrance tests.
The agency also said over 99% candidates got their first choice of cities (for test centre) in case of both examinations.
According to state-wise data shared by NTA, for both the exams, the highest number of students is in Maharashtra (228,000 for NEET and 110,000 for JEE).
Several opposition leaders including Congress’s Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, DMK president MK Stalin and Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia have demanded the exams be postponed.
But on August 17, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea seeking the postponement of the two exams amid spurt in the number of Covid-19 cases, saying precious year of students “cannot be wasted” and life has to go on.
