COMPETITIVE EXAMS A MUST: TESTING BODY

NEWDELHI:AS opposition persists against the Centre’s decision to hold the Joint Entrance Examination, or JEE, (Main) and the NEET next month, the National Testing Agency and the ministry of education are considering an outreach plan to communicate to stakeholders why conducting these tests is of vital importance.

Some students and their parents as well as some educationists and state governments have opposed the decision to conduct the exams next month at a time when the coronavirus disease pandemic is still raging.

“It is only after considering all aspects that the government has taken this decision. Moreover, the matter had also come before the Supreme Court, which gave its view. The NTA is maintaining communication with important functionaries of the states, especially those related to the health and education. The ministry is also trying to convey its view so that the tests can be conducted in a smooth manner. It will reach out further,” said a government official, requesting anonymity.

On Thursday, Union minister of education (MOE) Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank reiterated that the government was clear that it would hold the tests and said the decision had been taken “keeping the career of the student in mind”. Nishank also said that the Director General of the NTA, Vineet Joshi, had told him that over 750,000 out of 858,000 JEE candidates had downloaded admit cards to take the test, he added.