JEE Main, NEET 2020 fresh exam dates likely after Tuesday: Reports

NEW DELHI: Amid various calls by students for the postponement of JEE Main and NEET 2020, the authorities are expected to announce fresh exam dates for both the exams only after June 25 as the Supreme Court hearing on CBSE's stand on conducting the remaining board exam has been deferred till June 25 (2 pm). Earlier, the reports were that new exam dates for NEET and JEE Main can be announced by June 23, 2020. As per a report by The Indian Express, internal discussions, consultations with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the health ministry have already been ongoing to decide the new exam schedule for the national level engineering and medical entrance exams.

Latest Update: SC cancels CBSE exams; students can check latest updates on JEE Main and NEET 2020.

The decision on JEE Main 2020 and NEET 2020 was not announced on Monday (June 22) as scheduled as CBSE is yet to announce the exam schedule. CBSE is expected to inform the court about its decision on Tuesday about the exam conduction following which it is expected that NTA will take the decision on the JEE Main exam dates as well as NEET exam date. However, considering that the board exams of CBSE are yet to be held, it seems highly unlikely that JEE Main or NEET may be held in July. Increasingly, students are opposed to JEE Main and NEET 2020 being held on account of the rapidly rising cases of COVID-19. A section of the students wish for the cancellation of the exams while a section wants them postponed till it is safe for them to venture out and appear for the same. In another report, the IITs have been said to opposing the cancellation of the JEE Main or JEE Advanced claiming that admissions to the IITs have no other way and not conducting JEE Advanced 2020 would be detrimental to the IIT admission process.

The Indian Express has quoted an official saying that the Union HRD minister had met the Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday, June 19 to discuss these issues. Further on this, another meeting with Union health minister Harsh Vardhan was held on Saturday evening (June 20) on this issue. The consensus seems to be on the probable cancellation of the board exams but the problem stems from the fact that the National Testing Agency (NTA) which conducts NEET and JEE (Main) has not been able to come to a concrete decision on whether to hold them or not. Considering that these tests are extremely important for lakhs of engineering and medical aspirants —not holding the examinations seems not to be the option but how to with minimum risk to candidates and teachers. This is the big question to be answered now.

Reports suggest that a proposal to conduct NEET in both online and offline modes in a staggered manner is also being looked at to avoid crowding at the examination centres. However, no decision has been made and everything is expected to be clear by the next few days.

The current JEE Main 2020 exam dates are July 18 to 23 while the NEET 2020 exam date is July 26.