Parents, Students Wanted It, Says Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank On NEET, JEE Amid COVID-19

JEE and NEET: Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank centre’s transfer to carry the exams amid COVID-19

Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has defended the centre’s transfer to push forward with holding the all-India exams for engineering and medical programs amid the coronavirus pandemic on account of “constant pressure from parents and students”.

The Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) for admission to the Indian Institute of Technology and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to medical programs are scheduled to be held subsequent month. In an interview  to the federal government broadcaster DD News, Mr Nishank mentioned 80 per cent college students who will seem for JEE has already downloaded admit cards. “We have been under constant pressure from parents and students, asking why we are not allowing JEE and NEET. The students were very worried. In their minds they were thinking for how long will they continue to study?” the Education Minister advised DD News. “Out of 8.58 lakh students who registered for JEE, 7.25 lakh candidates have downloaded their admit cards… We are with students. Their safety comes first, then their education,” Mr Nishank mentioned.

On reopening colleges, Mr Nishank mentioned a call might be taken primarily based on pointers given by the Home Ministry and the Health Ministry. To minimise the risk corona virus infection, college students showing for the JEE and NEET must put on masks and hand gloves and carry a private bottle of water and hand sanitizer to the examination centre. The entry to the examination centres might be staggered and college students must clear a thermal scan for gaining entry. Every examination centre could have an isolation room for these whose physique temperature is excessive, indicating potential fever. Some dad and mom, college students and consultants working within the subject of training, nonetheless, have raised considerations over holding the exams at a time when corona virus circumstances in India have been rising. Climate activist Greta Thunberg, in a tweet, has additionally supported calls to postpone the exams.

Politicians throughout events have backed the demand to postpone the exams, highlighting that the transfer was not solely unsafe due to COVID-19, but additionally unjust as a result of floods in components of some states  corresponding to Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Kerala and Karnataka, amongst others. A recent surge of 60,975 new infections registered within the final 24 hours until Tuesday morning took India’s corona virus tally to 31,67,323, the Health Ministry has mentioned. The variety of fatalities linked to the pandemic rose to 58,390.

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