NEET and JEE Main aspirants across the country claim that they are not afraid of the pandemic as much as they are of a delay in the academic calendar and uncertainty. Months after the postponement of the engineering entrance JEE Main and the medical entrance – NEET, authorities are yet to announce the final dates.
“The government has to provide clarity regarding when and if the exams will be conducted,” says Shivashish Sharma, Student of Aakash Institute, Jabalpur, who has been preparing for the Joint Engineering Entrance (JEE) Main exams for two years now.
Not conducting the exams, however, is not a solution, he said. Like him, lakhs of students are awaiting an announcement on NEET and JEE exams.
Jodhpur-based Riya Soni, also favours holding exams, however, the NEET aspirant says that the long wait is impacting students’ mental health and affecting studies. She claims that it hampers the preparations too. She also demands vaccination for the students before examinations.
“Please make a clear statement so the students can focus on their studies and not feel negativity while preparing for these exams. I would like to prefer the postponement of these exams till September like last year. Till then every student can be vaccinated and they can give their exams safely,” says Riya.
The current crisis highlights that the educational system is “dangerously dependent on high-stakes annual exams,” said Mohammad Salman Ahmad, National President, Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO). He added that the government should release a fixed schedule for all these entrance exams so the students are not in a “perpetual state of anxiety”. Ahmad also added that students should be allowed more than one attempt for the upcoming academic year for these common entrance exams.
Amid fear of the third wave, students claim that further delay will hamper them and demand an alternative way of entrance if needed. “The government can come up with other solutions like conducting exams online. A qualifier exam can be held online followed by offline exams for students who pass the first round,” says Shivashish.
Rohtak-based Dhiren Bhardwaj, who is also a student of Aakash Institute and set to appear for NEET, also favours online exams. “We don’t know when the situation will normailse, hence online exams can be an alternate solution,” says Dhiren. However, since it might be difficult, the exams should be held twice a year, just like JEE, said the teenager.
Delhi-based Ritika Shah demands vaccination before the examination, especially for students suffering from lungs diseases or comorbidities.
Recently, news agency PTI reported that the Education Ministry is contemplating conducting JEE-Mains in July and August and NEET in September. The Ministry is in the process of reviewing the Covid-19 situation across states and UTs and will is expected to make an announcement soon.
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