The Week In Education: NEET result, DU admission and a central scheme

NEW DELHI: The National Testing Agency (NTA) this week announced the results of the national level medical entrance examination, National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET 2020), thus paving way for admission to over 80,000 MBBS seats and more than 26,000 BDS seats.

In another development this week, the Joint Admission Board (JAB) of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) entrusted with the task of conducting JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) Main and Advanced 2020 decided to allow students who were unable to take the exam this year to attempt for JEE Advanced in 2021. This will be a one-time measure.

Delhi University began the admission process for over 50,000 undergraduate humanities, science and commerce seats in online mode.

Some of the states also initiated the process for re-opening of schools as per the ‘Unlock 5’ guidelines issued by the centre for October.

NEET 2020- Results Declared

The NTA announced the NEET 2020 result. Soyeb Aftab from Odisha has topped the NEET 2020 examinations. Soyeb Aftab and AIR 2 Akanksha Singh have both scored a perfect 720 out of 720, the first ones since the NEET exams began to achieve this. He is also the first student from Odisha to top the NEET examination.

The NEET 2020 result will be used for admissions to around 80,005 MBBS and 26,949 BDS seats across the country. Admission to 52,720 AYUSH, and 525 BVSc & AH seats will also be filled through this. This year, admissions to 1205 seats in 15 All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and two JIPMER institutes will be included in the all India counselling.

Earlier this week on October 14, the NTA concluded the NEET 2020 Phase two for candidates who were either COVID-19 positive or in the containment zones and could not appear for NEET 2020 which was earlier held on September 13, 2020, in 155 cities. A total of 15,97,435 candidates had registered for NEET 2020, of whom 13,66,945 appeared.

AKTU UPSEE Results

Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU) also declared the UPSEE (Uttar Pradesh State Entrance Examination) result 2020, in which Sanyam Saxena has secured the first rank for B.Tech course. Aayushi Patwari, Riddhi Singhal and Gaurav Govil also secured the first rank for B.Arch, B.Pharm and MBA courses respectively.

UPSEE 2020 had 1,60,610 registered candidates for all courses out of which 1,34,505 candidates participated and 1,23,027 have qualified.

DU admission 2020: LSR’s 100% cut-offs

The Delhi University (DU) began the admission process for undergraduate courses this week with the release of the first cut-off last week with Lady Shri Ram College pegging the cut-offs for three honours courses at 100 percent. Following this, the first completely online DU admission process commenced on Monday and ended at 5 pm on Wednesday.

This year, the admission process has gone entirely online due to the coronavirus pandemic, DU is expected to release the second cut off on October 17. The candidates have to complete the admission process against the DU second cut off from October 19 to 21.

In another development, the Delhi High Court directed the Delhi University to declare results of all the post-graduate courses by October 31 and to upload the marksheets on its website and no student should be asked to physically come for collecting them.

The high court also fixed deadlines for declaration of results of undergraduate courses, between October 20 to 31 with a buffer of maximum of three days from the date fixed.

CAT 2020 And COVID-19: 425 exam centres

In wake of the prevailing situation due to COVID 19, the Common Admission Test (CAT 2020) for admission to MBA and PGDM programmes will be conducted at more than 425 test centres across India. According to CAT convenor, the objective is to ensure the safety of the candidates as well as the staff who will be involved at the teat centres so that social distancing can be maintained as well as prevent overcrowding.

Another chance for JEE Advanced 2020 in 2021

The Joint Admission Board (JAB) of the IIT Council this week announced to allow candidates who missed the JEE Advanced 2020 exam held on September 27 due to Covid-10 pandemic to appear in the exam next year or, third attempt in JEE Advanced. All these students will not be required to qualify JEE Main 2021 to appear in JEE Advanced 2021. The decision was taken by IIT Delhi, the organising institute of JEE Advanced 2020 and IIT Council during a virtual meeting to discuss the concerns raised by all such candidates who were prevented from appearing in JEE (Advanced) 2020 due to restrictions imposed due to Covid-19.

It has been decided to allow all the candidates, who had successfully registered to appear in JEE (Advanced) 2020 but were absent in the exam, to appear in JEE (Advanced) 2021, as a one-time measure.

ICAI CA Exam 2020 Revised Schedule

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India this week released the revised schedule of ICAI CA exam 2020. The ICAI CA 2020 exam schedule to be held from November 1 to 18, 2020 will now be conducted from November 21 to December 14, 2020. According to ICAI latest notification, CA exam date is listed below

NMC invites comments on MBBS admission, medical college regulations

The National Medical Commission which has been created by replacing the Medical Council of India this week placed its draft regulations on MBBS courses and on establishing new medical colleges in the public domain for comment.

The NMC has termed the draft, “Minimum Requirements for Annual MBBS Admissions Regulations, 2020," the regulations will come into force on the date of their publication in the official gazette and will be applicable to medical colleges being established from 2021-22 academic session. The last date for comments is October 19.

The two sections for which the comments have been sought are the regulations under the “Minimum Requirements for Annual MBBS Admissions Regulations, 2020” and “Establishment of Medical College Regulations, (Amendment), 2020”.

Union Cabinet approves Rs 5,718 crore for STARS

This week the Union Cabinet approved World Bank-supported Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States (STARS) project. The total project is expected to cost Rs 5,718 crores with the financial support of the World Bank amounting to USD 500 million.

The STARS project would be implemented as a new centrally-sponsored scheme under the department of school education and literacy, ministry of education. The project covers six states, namely Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Odisha.

Unlock 5: School reopening and states

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in its Unlock 5 guidelines left it to the states to decide on reopening of schools after October 15. Following this, states have initiated the process, with Mizoram announcing to reopen schools for class 10, 12 students from Oct 16.

The Punjab government has also decided to reopen schools and coaching institutions from October 15 in a graded manner. However, students of only classes 9-12 are permitted to attend schools with parental consent and without making attendance compulsory. Online classes shall continue to be the preferred mode of teaching and be encouraged.

On the other hand, schools in West Bengal are unsure about the resumption of physical classes and are waiting for the state government's decision. Earlier, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said that her administration will think about reopening educational institutions after Kali Puja on November 15 "depending on the COVID-19 situation at that time".

Schools: Reduce 20% school fee, orders Kolkata HC

With parents across states demanding fee cut for their children in schools, some parents from West Bengal approached the Calcutta High Court, where on Tuesday the court ordered 145 private schools to offer a minimum 20 percent fee reduction. The court also directed that non-essential charges for use of facilities not availed of will not be permissible.

Directing that there will be no increase in fees during the financial year 2020-21, the court ordered that from April, 2020 till the month following the one in which the schools reopen in the physical mode, all 145 schools will offer a minimum of 20 per cent reduction of fees across the board.

Later this week, twelve private schools run by the Church of North India (Kolkata Diocese), have decided to move the Supreme Court against the above mentioned Calcutta High Court order. The 12 schools had already decided in July to effect 25 per cent waiver of fees under computer, sports and library heads. He said that any further slash will seriously hurt the institutions economically which have to invest a lot for infrastructure, salary of teachers and staff and will adversely affect academic activities.

Also read:

• The Week In Education: JEE Advanced, CLAT, admissions, fake universities
  
• The Week In Education: Unlock 5, protests and exams

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