NEET-JEE to be held as per earlier schedule amid elaborate arrangements for COVID-19 pandemic

File pic: Zee News

New Delhi: The Centre is apparently ready to go ahead with the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) after the recent Supreme Court order. The National Testing Agency (NET) earlier issued admit cards for the JEE Mains.

For the JEE Mains, scheduled from September 1 to September 6, 2020, so far 6,49,223 candidates have downloaded admit cards out of the total 8,58,273. 

"Out of the total candidates, 99.07 per cent have been given the first choice (centre) of their preference. So far, only 120 candidates have requested for a change in the centre cities allotted to them, which is being looked into sympathetically," said government sources.

The National Testing Agency has given the JEE (Mains) candidates the option of changing their cities of choice five times amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 63931 candidates took advantage of this facility. 

Similarly, the NEET (UG) candidates were also given the same option to change the cities five times amid the COVID-19 pandemic. About 95,000 candidates took advantage of it. The admit cards for the NEET (UG), scheduled to be held on September 13, are scheduled to be released shortly. Out of the total of 15,97,433 candidates, 99.87 per cent are being given the first choice of their preferred city.

Out of a total of 15,97,433 candidates, 99.87% are being given the cities of their choice. Instructions have been given for detailed arrangements at the examination centers, especially for cleanliness before and after the examinations, due to the COVID-19 situation. 

According to government sources, elaborate arrangements have been made to sanitize the centres before and after the exams, provide the candidates with fresh masks, and (on demand) hand gloves based on the comprehensive guidelines issued in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Notably, there were 2,546 centres for the NEET 2019, while this year it has been increased to 3,843--about 50 per cent increase. 

The Supreme Court order earlier said, "We find that there is absolutely no justification in the prayer made for the postponement of the examinations in question relating to NEET UG-2020 as well as JEE (Main), 2020. In our opinion, though there is a pandemic situation, ultimately life has to go on and the career of the students cannot be put in peril for long and a full academic year cannot be wasted."

The NTA, however, confirmed that the JEE (Main) exam will be be held from September 1-6 and NEET (UG) on September 13, while issuing a statement.

pic.twitter.com/v26LC6Mzo5

— National Testing Agency (@DG_NTA) August 21, 2020

According to the statement, "The NTA is happy to share with the JEE (Main) 2020 candidates that it has been able to offer the first choice of preference of centre cities to 99.07 per cent of the candidates," adding "142 candidates have, subsequently, requested for a change in their allotted centre city due to various reasons, and the NTA is considering these requests positively".

"NEET (UG)-2020 is concerned, again for the first time, candidates of this examination were given opportunity five times to change their choice of centre city," it added.