Board marks be considered instead of JEE Main, NEET ask schools

NEW DELHI: Widespread COVID-19 outbreak has led to postponement of engineering and medical entrance examinations including JEE Main and NEET. These are now likely to be held after the completion of CBSE Class XII board exams. Considering the prevailing conditions and the many postponements, many schools are now demanding that board exam scores be given weightage for admissions to engineering and medical institutes instead of JEE Main or NEET. Keeping the well-being of the students at heart, many schools are coming forward to ask that students be given relief from JEE Main and NEET preparation by ensuring admissions on the basis of class XII exam scores.

While the lockdown is expected to end on May 3, the rising number of positive COVID cases may push the government to extend the same. In such a scenario, the uncertainty of admissions will add more to the already stressed out students. Even if the lockdown ends, the basic social distancing norms will have to be followed till all are given the clear by the authorities. This would mean that the current self and online preparation for JEE Main and NEET will still continue. These exams will only be conducted after the board exams and this again raises questions on whether there are chances of these being held at all?

N Vijayan, senior principal of Zion and Alwin group of schools, Chennai told Times of India (TOI ) “The impact of Covid-19 and lockdown has mentally affected students who are preparing for competitive exams like Neet and JEE. Students are not able to focus because of the house arrest-like situation”. He further added that “The NTA should reduce the syllabus for Neet 2020 considering the stress on students. The government should consider giving weightage for board exam scores in medical admissions by taking biology, physics and chemistry marks into account at least for this year.”

Speaking to TOI , G J Manohar, headmaster of MCC Higher Secondary School in Chetpet, also agreed on the idea and said “Students are not able to go out and schools are not able to coach them. Conducting exams like Neet or JEE would be a big challenge post lockdown. Admissions can be based on board exam results this year alone.” Adding to that he said “taking board exams marks into consideration would level the playing field for government and private school students.”

However, some schools are against this idea. Stressing on this point, P G Subramanian, principal of Bhavan’s Rajaji Vidhyashram told TOI that “COVID-19 lockdown has affected only the last minute preparation of students. They have been preparing for the exam throughout the year. This year, the entrance exams would be delayed by a month or two,”. He further added that many schools have been demanding weightage for board exam marks in medical admission even before the crisis and that it is nothing new.

Another headmaster from a government school supported Subramanian and told TOI that “ Many students may not have focused on board exams since medical admissions are based on NEET marks. Giving weightage to board exams is a good move. This year, NTA could delay conducting NEET so that students get time to attend crash courses”.