KOCHI: Despite opposition from non-BJP-ruled states in the country owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Joint Entrance Examinations (JEE) Main exam for admissions to the IITs began on Tuesday. The entrance exams are being held from September 1 to 6, starting with the test for BArch admissions. In Kerala, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has allotted centres in 12 districts.The National Testing Agency (NTA) got the go-ahead to conduct the examination after the Supreme Court dismissed a review petition filed by the six Opposition-ruled states. Earlier, a group of students had filed a petition seeking the postponement of IIT JEE. Dismissing the petitions, the SC had said that the career of students “cannot be put under jeopardy for long”.
Among the Opposition-ruled states, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was in favour of the conduct of the entrance examination, even though the move was opposed even by CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury. “The NTA has released an extensive list of guidelines for the exam. Mandatory masks and gloves along with staggered entry and seating are some of them,” said an official with the iON Digital Zone at Aluva, which hosted the examination.
The agency has also increased the number of JEE Main 2020 Exam Centres from 570 to 660. Additionally, the overall number of shifts for exam conduction have been increased from eight to 12, while the number of candidates per shift has been reduced from 1,32,000 to 85,000.Kabeer M H, parent of a candidate, pointed out that an odd-even rule was being followed in the seating arrangement. “The examination was held in two sessions. The morning session saw around 300 students appearing.
The students were given new masks and also made to sanitise their hands. The hall was well ventilated and non-AC,” he said. The BTech examinations will begin on Wednesday and there will be more number of students, the parent said. “But the examination has been spread over many days, so I don’t think crowding will be a problem,” he added.