Coronavirus: Now home, NEET, JEE aspirants seek change of exam centre

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Team Careers360 | March 28, 2020 | 03:40 PM IST

NEW DELHI : Amid the lockdown enforced to control the spread of coronavirus, the minister for human resource and development, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ announced the postponement of major entrance exams on Friday.

To avoid the inconvenience of travelling during a global pandemic, National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, or NEET, and Joint Entrance Examination, or JEE (Main), was suspended till last week of May.

The announcement, however, has stirred anxiety among aspirants who went back to their hometowns due to the country-wide lockdown announced by the prime minister, Narendra Modi. Several aspirants had opted for centres in the cities where they were being coached for the exam. The lockdown has shut coaching centres as well.

Students from across the country travel to coaching hubs like Kota in Rajasthan to prepare for these exams and then write the exams at these places as well. Which is why, at the time of applying, they would have picked examination centres closest to these coaching hubs. However, the lockdown has upset these plans for hundreds.

Fearing that the new schedule will be announced late and give them very little time to travel, aspirants are now requesting the HRD minister on social media to allow a change in the examination centre for entrance tests. Now confined to home, many candidates took to social media to express their concern.

As one student wrote: “As scenario is changed now than earlier while filling form. Kindly provide option for changing centre. As many students were studying at different places and selected centre accordingly. Now around 80% student gone to their homes. Please treat this matter sympathetically.”

The NEET which regulates admission into medical colleges was scheduled to be held on May 3. Earlier in March, the National Testing Agency, or NTA, had suspended the JEE Main which was scheduled for April 5, 7, 8, 9 and 11. The new dates for both will now be announced after April 15 and a reassessment of the situation.

Here is are some of the comments and questions applicants had.

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