JEE-NEET: Students concerned with appearing in exams amid COVID-19 crisis, ask for accountability in case of infection

The NEET (National Eligibility Entrance Test) to be conducted for admission to undergraduate courses of government medical colleges and the JEE Mains (Joint Entrance Exam) for admission to IITs and NITs are going to start from next month. Lakhs of students from all over India are going to appear in these two exams.

The way coronavirus cases are continuously increasing in the country, the way hundreds of people are being killed is raising questions about the timing of the test. These questions are being raised on behalf of the students themselves.

According to the students, there is a constant fear of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak. In Bihar, thousands of new corona cases are also being reported daily. Is the exam possible in such circumstances? Aditya from Patna will also appear for the JEE Mains exam this time. His exam is on September 2. Similarly, Anushka is appearing for the NEET exams as well. 

According to the two, who will guarantee it if they get infected with the coronavirus? NTA, the agency that took the exam, has the answer. The concern is not only in the minds of the students but also their parents. 

This time NEET exam was scheduled in May while the JEE exams were to be conducted in January and April. But this time, due to the corona crisis, these examinations were postponed at that time, but the National Testing Agency announced the conduct of the two examinations in September this year. 

In Bihar, the movement of trains is stopped due to lockdown. Buses are not plying. Low-budget hotels, lodges for students to stay are closed. So, how students will appear in the exam is a legitimate question. 

However, NTA has issued protocols for the JEE exam. Necessary instructions are given along with the admission letter of the students. Academics, on the other hand, do not agree with the demand for the exam to be postponed. SP Sinha, a renowned educationist from Patna, and who has conducted several examinations at the Nalanda Open University, is also in support of conducting the exam. 

According to him, one year is a big one and the career of students cannot be wasted. The protocols need to be followed and the examinations are conducted. Thousands of students become renowned doctors and engineers of the country by passing NEET and JEE examinations. It is the government's job to conduct examinations, but the NTA has to take care of the students, he said.