NTA to conduct JEE Main exams from September 1 amid COVID-19 guidelines; check key details

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New Delhi: After protected discussions, debates, and litigations, the National Testing Agency (NTA) is prepared to conduct the JEE Main exams from Tuesday (September 1, 2020) after it was postponed in April due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The NTA has taken several measures to keep in mind the safety of the students amid coronavirus and has reportedly increased the number of examination centres from 570 to 660. Around 8.58 lakh students have registered for the JEE main exams this year.

Here are the key steps that have been taken by the NTA:

- This year due to COVID-19 outbreak, the JEE Main will be in a Computer Based Test mode. As per reports, one seat will be kept vacant between two candidates and there will be a distance of six feet between students.

- The JEE Main exam shifts have also been increased from 8 to 12 where over 85,000 students per shift will appear in 660 centres across India from September 1 to September 6.

- The first shift will be held between 9 am to 12 pm, while the second shift will start at 3 pm and end at 6 pm.

- Students are not allowed to discuss the exam with their peers outside their examination centres.

- If someone has to wait outside the examination centre, he or she has to maintain social distancing.

- Shoes or footwear with thick soles and garments with large buttons are not permitted. If religion and customs require a student to wear specific attire, they have been advised to visit the centre early for thorough checking.

- It has also been decided to keep separate entrance and exit gates. The candidates will not be allowed to enter or exit in groups and will enter and exit one by one.

- Students can carry their original IDs along with the admit cards inside the examination centres. They can also carry a ballpoint pen, a photograph to paste on the attendance sheet, a hand sanitizer (50ml) and a water bottle.

- Students have to sign an undertaking (self-declaration) on A4 size paper that should be downloaded from NTA's site along with the candidate's admit card. Every candidate has to give a self-declaration that he or she has not contracted coronavirus nor has come in contact with any COVID-19 positive patient.

- Lab numbers will not be placed outside the examination centres to avoid gathering of crowds at one place.

-  To avoid physical contact, the admit cards have been given a bar code. The centre's staff will scan the bar code on students' admit cards and will inform about the assigned labs.

- Students will be provided with a new 3 ply face masks before entering the examination centre and they will be required to remove the mask worn by him or her from home and use the mask provided at centre only.

- Body temperature will be checked at the entry points using Thermo Guns and frisking through Handheld Metal Detector (HHMD) will be carried out without touching the body.

- The seats along with the monitor, keyboard, mouse, webcam, and desks will be sanitized before every shift.  The gap between 2 seats will be maintained as per GOI guidelines.

- The door handles, stair railings and lift buttons will also be sanitized.

- Hand sanitizers will be available in the examination centres and other required places for students and staff.

- Before the start of the exam, every student will be provided with five A4 size sheets for rough works. The rough sheets will be placed by the invigilator who must wear gloves. More rough sheets will be provided when asked by the students.

- No student will be allowed to leave the exam room before the examination is over.

- Students who have a body temperature above 99.4 degrees Fahrenheit will be taken to an isolation room. The student then will have to take the test there in the isolation room.

- Students who have recovered from COVID-19 will also have to take the exam in the isolation room.

- It is not mandatory for students to wear masks and wear gloves while taking the exam.

- The attendance will not be taken using thumb impressions.

Notably, several state governments have come forward to provide free travel for JEE and NEET candidates.

Earlier in the day, Indian Railways permitted JEE and NEET students and their guardians to travel by special suburban services in Mumbai on exam days.

 Supporting students appearing for NEET & JEE exams, Railways has permitted them, and their guardians to travel by special suburban services in Mumbai on exam days.

General passengers are requested not to commute. pic.twitter.com/bmfTZOnvnY — Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) August 31, 2020

The NEET-UG is scheduled for September 13.