The National Testing Agency (NTA,) on the 25th of August, issued guidelines for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Mains and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) examinations, scheduled to take place in the month of September.

After the Supreme Court approved NTA to go ahead with the JEE and NEET entrance examination amid the outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus, the NTA issued regulations for the safe conduct.

The NTA issued a notification regarding the same which read, “NTA has carried out detailed deliberations to formulate guidelines for the various controls / measures that are required to be implemented on the day of the exam at each Examination Centres.”

Despite protest from students, students associations, parents and government of several states, the NTA decided to conduct the two entrance exams JEE Mains and NEET for Engineering and Medical respectively.

Recently, the NTA even issued admit cards to students appearing for the two entrance examinations.

According to the NTA, 99% of the students would be given first choice of centre cities. To ensure safety of the students appearing for the exams, the NTA increased centres.

For JEE Main, exam centres increased from 570 to 660 and for NEET exam centres are now 3,843 from 2,846.

Instructions and guidelines for the JEE and NEET exams:

  • Students need not mandatorily need to wear face masks and hand gloves while giving the exams.
  • Students are instructed to carry a personal bottle of water and hand sanitizer to the exam centre as well as maintain social distancing.
  • Only the Admit Card will be allowed inside the examination centre.
  • The candidate would be required to remove the mask worn by him or her from home, and “use the mask provided at centre only.”
  • Candidates would be given staggered time slots for reporting to ensure uniform distribution of seats at the examination centre.
  • Candidates need to maintain a space of at least 6 feet from each other all the time.
  • Candidates who have a temperature higher than 99.4 degrees Fahrenheit, would be taken to an isolation Room.
  • All processes of frisking and document verification would be done after a period of 15-20 minutes. In this time their temperature may become even normal, if not they will be allowed to take the examination alone in a separate room.
  • All processes such as frisking, verification of documents will be done inside the Registration Room.
  • The candidate will display the admit card, ID proof and other documents, if any for verification to the Invigilator on duty standing across the table.
  • Post verification, the Invigilator would inform about the candidates’ seat in the seat allocation list with room number.
  • At any point of time the exam functionary would not touch any document of the candidate.
  • Before entering the exam hall, each student will have to wash their hands with soap and water and hand sanitizers will be available at various locations at the centre.
  • 50% of the Invigilators will be assigned to work inside the rooms, and 50% will monitor the entry outside the gate and registration room until the last candidate has taken their place inside the examination room/hall.
  • On completion of the exam, the candidates should be permitted to move out in an orderly manner – One candidate at a time.
  • The gloves and masks provided should be disposed of in a pedal push covered bin at the Examination Centre and outside the examination room/hall only.
  • Required distance will be maintained without crowding anywhere.
  • Volunteers will be present along the exit path to ensure orderly movement of candidates.
  • However, the issued guidelines do not specify the rules and SOPs for students who live in containment zones and they would also need to appear for the examination.

Meanwhile, the efforts of political leaders such as Indian National Congress’ Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and others urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Education Minster to postpone the competitive exams during the pandemic is still going.

In regard to this, on the 25th of August Ms. Banerjee wrote a letter to PM Modi asking to postpone the entrance exams.

Bollywood actor Sonu Sood and other leaders of Indian political parties also demanded postponed dates of the exams.

However, the NTA dismissed all the requests and issued dates and regulations. The JEE (Main) April 2020 is scheduled from the 1st to the 6th of September and NEET UG 2020 exam is scheduled for the 13th of September.

This year a total of 9.53 lakh candidates registered for JEE-Mains, 15.97 lakh students have registered for NEET.

Stay tuned for further updates.

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