Latest updates on JEE Main and NEET 2020 after SC cancels CBSE exams

NEW DELHI: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has decided to cancel the remaining board exams, due to COVID-19 pandemic. Since the exam has been postponed, it has increased the anxiety and worries amongst the JEE Main and NEET candidates. With the cancellation of board examinations for Class 12 and 10, there are high chances of the National Testing Agency (NTA) announcing a new date for JEE Main and NEET 2020 entrance test.

As per the current dates, NEET UG will be held on July 26, 2020, for admission to around 1,60,153 MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, BVSc and AH courses. while JEE Main will be held from July 18 to 23, for admission to 32,874 seats in NITs, IIITs and GFTIs.

Latest updates on JEE Main and NEET 2020:

July 2, 2020: HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has asked NTA DG to review the situation and submit their recommendations on whether to conduct NEET and JEE Main or postpone it further by July 3, 2020.

June 25, 2020: After the cancellation of board exams, candidates are expecting NTA to either postpone or cancel Joint Entrance Examinations (JEE Main) and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). However, the conducting authority has not released any official notice on NEET and JEE postponement yet.

June 25, 2020: Centre has announced to cancel the remaining CBSE board examination for Class 12 and 10. However, CBSE will give an option to Class 12 students to appear for the exam when the situation will be favorable.

June 25, 2020: The board has told the Supreme Court that an evaluation scheme will be introduced, in which Class 12 students will be evaluated on the basis of their last three exams.

New JEE Main and NEET exam date

In the meantime, students and their parents appearing for Joint Entrance Examinations (JEE Mains) and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) are also demanding for cancellation or postponement of national level engineering and medical entrance examinations.

Considering the increasing number of cases in India, it is highly expected that NTA will conduct JEE Main in third week of August, while NEET will be held in the last week of August 2020.

As per the reports, Union HRD minister had a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah and another meeting with Harsh Vardhan on this matter of cancellation of exams. However, the conducting authority NTA, has not released any official statement on whether to hold the exam or not.

Social media on JEE Main and NEET cancellation

Meanwhile, through various social media platforms, students and parents are opposing to conduct the national level engineering and medical entrance examination. Several parents took to twitter with a hashtag #noexamsincovid or #postponejeemainneet.

NEET in online mode?

Also, as per the reports, a proposal to conduct NEET in online and offline mode in a staggered manner to avoid crowd at the exam centres was also provided. However, NTA has told to Kerala High Court that NEET cannot be conducted in online mode.