New Delhi: The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main begins after being postponed twice due to the coronavirus pandemic. The National Testing Agency (NTA) is all prepared to conduct the exam amid COVID-19 guidelines.
The NTA has taken several measures to keep in mind and has also increased the number of examination centres from 570 to 660. Around 8.58 lakh students have registered for the JEE main exams this year.
Union Minister of Education Ramesh Pokhiyal ‘Nishank’ has appealed to the chief ministers of various states to support the students appearing for the exam.
The exam this year will be computer-based and there will be a gap of atleast one computer between every student. The shifts of Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2020 will be held in two shifts per day that makes a total of 12 shifts in six days. The first shift will be between 9 am to 12 noon and the second will be from 3 pm to 6 pm.
The students were seen availing public transport services to reach the examination centre on Tuesday morning.
The Madhya Pradesh government will arrange free transport for candidates appearing for JEE and NEET examinations, announced Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday.
The Odisha government has also decided to provide free transportation and accommodation to the applicants of Joint Entrance Exams (JEE) and the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) in the state, said Asit Tripathy, State Chief Secretary.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has also given instructions to all District Collectors to make arrangements for transportation of candidates for JEE and NEET exams to their examination centres and bringing them back.
The JEE Main 2020 is being conducted by NTA for admission to Undergraduate Programs in NITs, IIITs and other Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs), etc. for the next academic year (2020-2021) in two phases.
However, The Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court on Tuesday allowed the authorities to conduct JEE (Mains) 2020 examination. The bench passed its order while responding to a plea urging it to take suo-motu cognisance of the matter and postpone the JEE exams.
The plea was filed by a resident of Bhandara, Nitesh Bawankar, in Maharashtra seeking postponement of the JEE Mains exam. His plea stated inability of students, residing in flood-affected areas in Vidarbha region, in reaching the examination centres.
In its letter, Bawankar highlighted the problems being faced by students appearing for JEE-Main examination and residing in flood-hit areas of Nagpur, Amravati, Akola, Chandrapur, Gondiaand Gadchiroli districts.
Due to floods, students from these areas will find it difficult to appear for the JEE-Main examination, he said.
Responding to it, the bench issued direction that those who are affected by flood and can’t reach the exam centres may apply to the appropriate authority – National Testing Agency (NTA).
A division bench of Justices R K Deshpande and Pushpa Ganediwala asked the respondents, the Maharashtra government, the Centre and the National Testing Agency, to consider postponing the examination for students residing in flood-affected areas.
It may be noted that the crucial JEE Mains examination began at 9 am amid strict COVID-19 precautions to ensure the safety of students across the country.
