NTA Says No Change In NEET, JEE Main 2020 Exam Schedule

Despite growing protests by the students demanding the cancellation of Joint Entrance Exam or JEE (Main) and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test or NEET (UG) and requests from state governments, activists and political leaders, the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday confirmed that JEE Main and NEET exams will be held as per the schedule. JEE (Main) and NEET (UG) exams will be held on the dates - 1st to 6th September and 13th September.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) said in the new circular that, "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.”

On Tuesday, Swedish teen climate change campaigner Greta Thunberg tweeted that, "It’s deeply unfair that students of India are asked to sit national exams during the COVID-19 pandemic and while millions have also been impacted by the extreme floods. I stand with their call to #PostponeJEE_NEETinCOVID." Here is the tweet.

It’s deeply unfair that students of India are asked to sit national exams during the Covid-19 pandemic and while millions have also been impacted by the extreme floods. I stand with their call to #PostponeJEE_NEETinCOVID

— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) August 25, 2020

NTA released a notification which reads,  “The Hon’ble Supreme Court has also, inter alia, ordered that we find that there is absolutely no justification in the prayer made for postponement of the examination in question relating to NEET UG-2020 as well as JEE (Main) April, 2020,”

"The number of Examination Centers have also been increased from 570 to 660 (in case of JEE Main) and 2546 to 3843 (in case of NEET (UG) 2020). JEE (Main) is Computer Based Test (CBT) and NEET (UG) is pen paper-based test. Additionally, in case of JEE (Main), the number of shifts has been increased from the earlier 8 to 12, and the number of candidates per shift has been reduced from earlier 1.32 lakh to 85000 now," reads the notice.

Chetan Bhagat wrote on his Twitter, "I think a vaccine is round the corner and expected in a few months. Maybe the NEET and JEE could be postponed until then and see the situation in early 2021. Entrance exams cause enough anxiety anyway, adding Covid anxiety to it is not necessary."

I think a vaccine is round the corner and expected in a few months. Maybe the NEET and JEE could be postponed until then and see the situation in early 2021.

Entrance exams cause enough anxiety anyway, adding Covid anxiety to it is not necessary.

— Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) August 25, 2020