The Week In Education; JEE Main result, NEET 2020 and university exams

by Abhay Anand & Atul Krishnan

NEW DELHI: This week is bracketed by two mammoth exams -- the JEE Main 2020 for engineering which concluded on September 6 at one end, and NEET 2020 for admission to undergraduate medicine on September 13 at the other.

In between, the National Testing Agency declared the JEE Main 2020 result on Friday -- over the January and September sessions of the exam, 24 students scored 100 percentile. Telangana has the maximum number of 100 percentile scorers -- eight -- with Delhi coming in second with five. The NTA declared the result in just five days.

Close on the heels of JEE Main 2020 result, is the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET 2020). The largest entrance test in the country, it has over 15.9 lakh registered candidates and will be held in 3,842 exam centres across the country. The number of centres has been increased to allow for social distancing during the coronavirus outbreak .

The decision to hold such large-scale entrance tests and even university exams during the COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the most hotly debated issues over the past few months. It has led to several rounds of litigation with a short span of time and continued even this week.

These were the most significant developments in education this week.

NEET 2020: Another petition

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court dismissed three fresh petitions filed seeking postponement of NEET.

The Centre and state governments are also gearing up for this national level examination. West Bengal has decided to withdraw state-wide complete lockdown on September 12 in the interest of the students appearing for NEET. The Calcutta High Court also directed the West Bengal government to provide accommodation to a NEET aspirant from Thursday to Monday to ensure that she reaches the examination centre in Siliguri well in advance.

A 19-year-old teenager in Tamil Nadu, who could not join medical college despite having cleared NEET earlier and trying to improve his score this time around, allegedly killed himself on Wednesday, police said. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Thursday announced a solatium of Rs seven lakh to the family of the teenager.

NEET 2020: Exam centres changed

The National Testing Agency (NTA) changed 44 exam centres of NEET due to implementation of COVID-19 measures. These changes will affect thousands of candidates across 15 states and Union Territories.

As many as 15.97 lakh candidates have registered to appear for NEET 2020 for admission to 80,055 MBBS and 26,949 BDS seats. Admission to AYUSH and veterinary sciences is through NEET as well. The 1,205 MBBS seats at the 15 AIIMS and the 200 at the two campuses of JIPMER are also filled through NEET.

Maharashtra scraps 70:30 seat formula

The Maharashtra government this week scrapped the 70:30 region-wise formula for admission to medical courses in the state. The formula implied reservation for 70 per cent locals (from that region) in medical colleges and 30 per cent from rest of the state.

Medical education minister Amit Deshmukh making an announcement in the State Assembly, said that admission would now be based on the 'one Maharashtra, one merit' principle and solely on the scores in the NEET 2020.

Health Ministry SoP for classes, exam

The Government has issued a revised SOP for conducting examinations amid the COVID-19 pandemic, removing the provision that allowed symptomatic candidates who insist on taking an exam to do so in isolation.

As per the revised guidelines of the ministry of health (MoHFW), in regular course, the asymptomatic candidate should be referred to the nearest health centre and allowed to undertake the examination through other means, or the university or educational institution shall arrange for taking the exam at a later date when the student is declared physically fit.

Schools allowed to reopen partially

The Centre allowed schools to reopen from September 21 but only for Classes 9 to 12 and with voluntary attendance.

The health ministry issued guidelines on reopening schools. These forbid sharing of notebooks, pens/pencils, water bottles among students, assemblies and sports. The guidelines , encouraging online learning and entry of asymptomatic persons.

The ministry has also stated that higher educational institutions, as well as skill training centres, can resume their classes from September 21. The health ministry SoP advises implementation of staggered classroom activities with separate time slots, mandatory six feet distance between desks and carry out disinfection of premises, among other COVID-19 safety measures.

Delhi HC asks DU to issue digital degree

The Delhi High Court directed the Delhi University to issue digital degree certificates to students who have already graduated and urgently require the document for taking admission in a foreign university or for employment within seven working days

Justice Prathiba M Singh said observed: “Getting a degree is an event for a student but it has really become torture”.

Schools reopening in states

Several state governments have also started working on modalities to re-open schools. This week, the Haryana Government decided to start classes for students of Classes 10 to 12 in two state-run schools in Karnal and Sonipat districts on a trial basis after the vast majority of parents of the children in these two institutes gave their go-ahead.

The Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education began the academic session for Classes 9 to 12 online from Monday. The state board will telecast audio-visual lessons on Doordarshan from 7 am to 10 am, and students and teachers will have to register through a mobile app called 'MASHIM' for access.

School education in states

The Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday inaugurated 34 school buildings that were renovated as part of the Pothu Vidyabhyasa Samrashana Yajnam (mission to protect public education) by spending Rs five crore for one school in each constituency.

The Delhi government revoked the fee-hike permission granted to a top private school in Chanakyapuri, Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said on Thursday. Manish Sisodia reiterated that no school is allowed to hike fees during the COVID-19 pandemic and that action will be taken against the defaulters

CBSE compartment exams

The Supreme Court on Thursday said the CBSE would not be able to help the students taking compartment exams for Class 12 this month as it would be the colleges and universities which will take their admissions for higher studies.The Supreme Court was hearing a plea which challenged the CBSE decision to hold compartment exams.

Education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, on Wednesday, distributed the CBSE Award to Teachers to 38 educators from affiliated schools across the country.

Literacy day

With 96.2% literacy, Kerala has once again emerged as the most literate state in the country, while Andhra Pradesh featured at the bottom with a rate of 66.4%, showed a report based on National Statistical Office (NSO) survey.

NEP 2020: Siksha Parv

The government of India has decided to observe Siksha Parv from September 8- 25 to highlight various aspects of the New Education Policy 2020. Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a governors’ conference on the National Education Policy 2020 said that the interference of government should be minimum in education and in education policy.

He also asked governors to organise as many virtual conferences as possible in their respective state universities before September 25.

The ministry of education has announced a new literacy scheme, ‘Padhna Likhna Abhiyan’ on the occasion of International Literacy Day. As per the ministry, the new scheme will be a leap forward to achieve the goal of total Literacy before the target year 2030.

Also read:

• The Week In Education: JEE Main begins, states’ SC petition dismissed
  
• The Week In Education: Opposing JEE Main, NEET 2020 and UGC wins
  

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