Special chance at JEE for those junking plans to study abroad

NEW DELHI: The Union human resource development (HRD) ministry is looking to provide a window to Class 12 students who were aiming to enrol in an undergraduate programme overseas, but have seen their plans scotched by the Covid-19 pandemic — by allowing them to appear in admission tests they hadn’t originally applied for.

As a first step, HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank announced that students who did not apply for the Joint Entrance Exam (Main) for admission to the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) will now get a special opportunity to do so.

“Students who have dropped the idea to study abroad, here is your chance to pursue your studies in India. I have advised the National Testing Agency (NTA) to give one more opportunity to students to submit new online application form for JEE (Main) 2020. Hurry! Forms available till 24th May,” said Nishank in a tweet.

Soon, the National Testing Agency (NTA) chief Vineet Joshi released a note saying that following representations from students and in view of the changed circumstances because of COVID-19, the NTA had decided to give one more opportunity to students to submit the forms.

“The aim is to help students who have had to change their plans. It is also an opportunity to attract the best talent to the country’s institutions,” said a senior government official who asked not to be named.

There are around 700000800000 Indian students abroad. This, though includes students at all levels. The number of under-graduate students isn’t known; nor is the average number of students who apply for overseas under-graduate courses from India.

“We will look at the number of students, who apply in this category and then think about other courses,” said the official. Significantly, the JEE (Main) is a highly competitive exam.

The real battle, the official admitted, is to retain students who go abroad for post-graduate degrees -- MBA and MS, for instance.

“We would definitely want our institutions to prepare a strategy on this count. Especially because many IITs do struggle to fill up seats in their post-graduate courses.”

Eminent educationist and former UGC member, Inder Mohan Kapahy, said the amount being spent by Indian students abroad is a substantial one and the government should work to get them into the country’s leading institutions.

“Steps to persuade brilliant Indian students to study in India is always welcome,” said Kapahy.

THE AIM IS TO HELP STUDENTS WHO HAVE HAD TO CHANGE THEIR PLAN, SAY OFFICIALS