NEET, JEE Main 2020 to be held as scheduled; NTA increases test centers for JEE

New Delhi, August, 26: In a major development, the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday confirmed that JEE (Main) and NEET (UG) will be conducted as per the schedule. It also announced that it has increased the number of examination centers for JEE (Main) exam and for NEET (UG) to maintain social distancing in these centers.

 

 

 

“The JEE (Main) and NEET (UG) exams will be held on the dates announced earlier, which are 1st to 6th September and 13th September respectively,” the National Testing Agency (NTA) said in the new circular. The NTA also added that the admit cards for NEET (UG) 2020 will be released soon. It had earlier released the admit cards for JEE examination.

 

Keeping social distancing norms in mind the number of Examination Centers has also been increased from 570 to 660 in the case of JEE-Mains and from 2 thousand 546 to 3 thousand 843 for NEET-UG 2020. Additionally, in the case of JEE-Mains, the number of shifts have been increased from 8 to 12. The number of candidates per shift has also been reduced from 1 lakh 32 thousand to 85 thousand.

 

The NTA has ensured that more than 99% of candidates get their first choice of Centre Cities in both of these examinations. NTA has also mandated a staggered entry and exit for candidates to ensure social distancing outside the examination halls. These steps have been introduced to ensure adherence to social distancing norms at the centers in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

For ensuring social distancing the candidates will be seated in alternate seats for JEE (Main). And for NEET(UG), the number of candidates per room has been reduced to 12 from 24. Moreover, this year nearly 8 lakh 50 thousand candidates have registered for JEE-Mains while the number of registrations for NEET-UG has been nearly 16 lakhs.

 

Furthermore, Several opposition leaders including Congress' Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik, DMK President MK Stalin, and Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia have already raised their voice against the exam and have demanded the center to postpone the exams.