MHRD sets up expert committee to suggest new dates for JEE (main) & NEET-UG exams

NEW DELHI: In view of the prevailing situation arising out of the COVID-19 outbreak and increasing number of containment zones, the ministry of human resource development on Thursday has set up an expert committee to suggest fresh dates for conducting the JEE (main), JEEE (advanced) and NEET-UG. The order issued by the ministry also stated that candidates/ parents has written to the ministry and National Testing Agency for postponement of the exams due to the pandemic.
The computer based JEE (main) exams were scheduled from July 18 to July 23, while the pen-paper mode NEET-UG was schedule for July 26, while JEE (advanced) was scheduled for August 23, 2020. The JEE (main) and NEE-UG would be conducted by the NTA, while the JEE (advanced) will be conducted by the IITs.
The expert committee will be chaired by professor V Ramgopal Rao, director, IIT-Delhi and will comprise of professor Siddharth Pandey, organising chairperson, JEE (advanced), Vineet Joshi, director general, NTA and Rakesh Ranjan, additional secretary, MHRD.
A large number of school and university exams scheduled in the month of July has been cancelled, which include the Class X and XII Board exams of CBSE and CISCE. Many IITs too cancelled their final exams and opted for alternate grading systems.
Apart from candidates and parents raising concerns about conducting the exams when the Corona Virus outbreak is peaking in India, another reason for demanding postponement of the engineering and the medical entrance exams has been the rains and floods in Assam and Bihar.
Ramesh Pokhriyal, union minister for HRD said: “Looking at the prevailing circumstances and requests from students and parents appearing for JEE and NEET examinations, a committee consisting of DG, NTA and other experts has been advised to review the situation and submit its recommendations to the HRD ministry.”
The committee will be meeting on Friday afternoon and likely to submit its recommendations on the same day. In case of postponement of the JEE (main), the JEE (advanced) dates will also have to be rescheduled.
According to a senior HRD official, “Given the prevailing situation and with a number of centres in the containment zone, it seems that the exams will have to be further pushed back. The committee has been set up to review the dates to conduct the three examinations and suggest fresh dates.”