Social distancing goes for a toss
Lack of public transport, meagre facilities make students falter at JEE centres
Despite Covid-19 fears, students in large numbers stepped out to take the JEE exam on day 2 for B.E./B.Tech admissions at 31 NITs, 25 IIITs and 28 CFTIS.
The morning shift saw 95 per cent footfall across the country, according to National Testing Agency data. However, in Telangana, violation of social distancing norms and SOP guidelines for exams was witnessed at various centres on Wednesday.
Several students from different districts faced difficulties in reaching their centres due to lack of public transport, despite the Union government assuring that candidates have been given centres of their choice to help avoid travel issues.
Outside the centres like Noma convention centre, Nacharam, like on Day 1, the scenes were distressing. The morning shift of the examination saw excessive crowding outside, in violation of physical distancing rules. Parents and students also spoke of scenes outside iONdigital zone, Moula Ali, where guardians were
STUDENTS SAID that the authorities were hell bent on playing with the lives of students and their guardians in conducting exams, despite major opposition.
forced to wait in groups for four hours outside the centre in the absence of any arrangements.
As per the SOPs released by the NTA, crowd management outside the exam centre is the responsibility of the authorities.
Meanwhile, a student who took the exam on Tuesday reached out to Deccan Chronicle and exposed the gross violation of safety guidelines at Vageshwari degree college in Karimnagar town. The masks given to students outside to be worn for the duration of the exam were of extremely low quality, when the guidelines clearly stated that students must be given a 3ply mask.
Reacting to this, students said that the authorities were hell bent on playing with the lives of students and their guardians in conducting exams, despite major opposition.
So far, the NTA has not released any official statewise data on the number of students that have appeared for the exams so far.