Will JEE Main, NEET exams be postponed? This is the very question swarming over the minds of lakhs of aspirants of the key medical and engineering entrances which are held by the National Testing Agency (NTA). It was on Thursday when HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank announced that a committee constituted on JEE Main and NEET exams will review the situation and submit its recommendations to him. A decision on whether the entrances will be postponed or not shall come by Friday evening, sources confirmed to India TV. The decision is most likely to come post 5 P.M. today.
While JEE Main exam is scheduled to take place between July 19 and July 23, NEET exam is scheduled for July 26. JEE Main provides admission to NITs, IITs, and CFTIs while the NEET-UG examination is for admission to MBBS/BDS courses. More than 15 lakh students had applied for NEET 2020 while nearly 9 lakh for JEE Main exams.
"Looking at the prevailing circumstances and requests received from students and parents appearing for JEET and NEET examinations, a committee consisting of DG NTA and other experts has been advised to review the situation and submit its recommendations to HRD Ministry latest by tomorrow (Friday)," the minister had tweeted yesterday.
Students and parents have been demanding postponement of both the exams. Taking to social media, students requested the HRD minister to defer the exams as coronavirus cases in the country breached the 6-lakh mark.
A few days back, India Wide Parents Association also wrote to the government and and requested for postponement of both the examinations. Citing concerns of students and parents, the association said it has been receiving complaints from many parents and students across India regarding the conduct of JEE Main and NEET exams in the month of July amid pandemic situation when the infections are at an all-time high.
In the letter, at least 15 reasons were listed out for postponement of the exams. These included Increasing COVID-19 infections in India, students acting as carriers of the virus, practical impossibility of social distancing in exam centers, lockdown in many regions of the country, rapidly increasing containment zones, transportation, students coming from containment zones, lack of online education opportunities, students and their family members testing positive for COVID-19, exam centers in COVID-19 hotspots.
Storming Twitter, NEET and JEE aspirants have been seeking clarity from the minister. Pressing on the postponement of both the exams, students said they are anxious as the entrances are soon-approaching.
“Kindly look into the matter of NEET 2020...we are eagerly waiting for an official notice...we are very stressed, anxious, and frustrated right now,” a student wrote on Twitter.
With the HRD minister's decision today, the uncertainly looming over the exams will come to an end.
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